Try living in the real worls (From South Wales Argus)

1. An MP takes home a maximum of £805pw so you are some 20% wrong to start with. A good sum by most standards but less than headteachers, directors etc in local govt, senior doctors in the NHS and countless more in the private sector.

2. A councillor takes home something in the region of £210pw. A poor income compared to many.

3. Their state pensions are worked out on exactly the same basis as yours is.

Now we have established you are wrong, what is the point you are trying tto make? Are you seriously suggesting we should not have any paid polititical roles meaning you only want rich tories, pensioners, and the unemployed to represent us? Or is it someting more sinister in that you do do not want any elected politicians and would prefer the sort of system favioured by Hitler?

not sure what news paper you buy but all the well paid jobs are now in the public sector from what i can see most private sector employees get a pittance including myself

'On the inside' is right about councillors. If we want decent people we should pay less of them, more money. Enough so that a person could dedicate a full time career and sole source of income to live on.

It shouldn't be a thinly spread part time hobby or stepping stone that's only accessible to those that don't need the job or the money.

On The Inside, not very nice comments, talking down to somebody who has taken time to write a letter to the Argus, I agree with some of the comments in some respect, not sure what planet you are on if you believe as you quote an MP gets in the region of £850 per week and you think that this a fair amount in todays climate, and as you state £210 is a poor income compared to some, by that you mean an MP's allowance? If you asked anyone in the Newport area would they like to take home £210 for an 8 to10 hour shift per week they would jump at it. 10 hours per week divided by your £210 works out at £21 per hour not a bad little number. I am assuming "which I should not as assumptuon is the mother of all mistakes" you have some connection to either the local council or a political party in the Newport area and you are attempting to defend the allowances they get. Well Sir/Madam you need to move on, because the days of these people getting paid £21 per hour for next to nothing needs to change. To ask Mr Nutt if he would like to see a system based on Nazism is also a derogatory comment and I feel that you should apologise to Mr Nutt. Politicians,Councill
ors, they akk tell you what you want to hear every 4/5 years just to get their pittance £210 per week. Why? is it because they believe that they can make a difference or do they do it for the cash, the only difference I have seen in the past 20 years is a council that has let the city decline, a council that has increased it's allowance to its councilors a council that gave £20000 to councillors as a golden handshake as they had served over 20 years or they were over retirement age. Newport City/Town needs people in council positions who care about the community they are supposed to serve not just come in from Cardiff to represent St Julians, not from Langstone to represent Alway, not to come from Alty-ryn to represent Ringland, the commom factor to all these three councilors is that they all live in affluent areas but work out of areas that they see as possible safe seats, is this because they want to help the people they are supposed to represent? Is it as a stepping stone to move further up the political chain? Or is it just to take the £21 per hour poor income? I am a realist, you can guess my opinion. I still believe we need a new dawn in Newport it started with the chartists so lets start again Votefornoneoftheabov
e in 2017 unless they truly make a difference to the area they represent and above all Newport the days of the train full of gravy need to be stopped, me a Communist No, a Nazi No a Marxist No what I am is a normal working class man who has worked since leaving school who understands people are being had over and it must stop! Thanks and don't forget the apology to Mr Nutt.

Votefornoneoftheabov
e wrote:
On The Inside, not very nice comments, talking down to somebody who has taken time to write a letter to the Argus, I agree with some of the comments in some respect, not sure what planet you are on if you believe as you quote an MP gets in the region of £850 per week and you think that this a fair amount in todays climate, and as you state £210 is a poor income compared to some, by that you mean an MP's allowance? If you asked anyone in the Newport area would they like to take home £210 for an 8 to10 hour shift per week they would jump at it. 10 hours per week divided by your £210 works out at £21 per hour not a bad little number. I am assuming "which I should not as assumptuon is the mother of all mistakes" you have some connection to either the local council or a political party in the Newport area and you are attempting to defend the allowances they get. Well Sir/Madam you need to move on, because the days of these people getting paid £21 per hour for next to nothing needs to change. To ask Mr Nutt if he would like to see a system based on Nazism is also a derogatory comment and I feel that you should apologise to Mr Nutt. Politicians,Councill ors, they akk tell you what you want to hear every 4/5 years just to get their pittance £210 per week. Why? is it because they believe that they can make a difference or do they do it for the cash, the only difference I have seen in the past 20 years is a council that has let the city decline, a council that has increased it's allowance to its councilors a council that gave £20000 to councillors as a golden handshake as they had served over 20 years or they were over retirement age. Newport City/Town needs people in council positions who care about the community they are supposed to serve not just come in from Cardiff to represent St Julians, not from Langstone to represent Alway, not to come from Alty-ryn to represent Ringland, the commom factor to all these three councilors is that they all live in affluent areas but work out of areas that they see as possible safe seats, is this because they want to help the people they are supposed to represent? Is it as a stepping stone to move further up the political chain? Or is it just to take the £21 per hour poor income? I am a realist, you can guess my opinion. I still believe we need a new dawn in Newport it started with the chartists so lets start again Votefornoneoftheabov e in 2017 unless they truly make a difference to the area they represent and above all Newport the days of the train full of gravy need to be stopped, me a Communist No, a Nazi No a Marxist No what I am is a normal working class man who has worked since leaving school who understands people are being had over and it must stop! Thanks and don't forget the apology to Mr Nutt.

There will be no apology as none is justified. You and Mr Nutt seem determined to undermine democracy by replacing party politics with unacountable independents who will poison the well and will be constantly outmanouvered by unelected paid staff. You enter the debate you go at risk on having your views contested. I am a member of a political party but would always prefer to see the election of a member of any other party (that has a clear political philosophy) over a self serving independent.

I tried living in the real "worls". Couldn't find it.

Pay less councillors more money or a full time wage, you only need one per ward surely and you would get better vale for money. As for MPs, why do we have a Welsh government and we still have MPs? Because the Welsh government is a joke that no one is laughing at.

Did somebody just mention something about democracy??..
The democratic part stops once you poor saps have "elected" whichever party that most reflects on yourselves.
Does champagne socialism tick any boxes? 'Cos I'm pretty sure the only champagne socialists are politicians- no matter which level they loiter at.

The advent of the career politician meant the demise of democracy. One only had to observe Milleband's contorted rotations on a European referendum and welfare to know that his concern is not the issue, its how he can be most electable. Cameron is in similar agony over what will keep the Lib Dems on-side and Clegg won't go with his heart as it means certain oblivion for him. We have the politicians we deserve. They get paid our money for spending our money on getting themselves more of our money. Result. Not.

smokintheweed wrote:
I tried living in the real "worls". Couldn't find it.

Next to middle earth apparently

In my opinion just about the worst of these money grabbing politicians is Tony Blair.He flooded the country with all these east European immigrants in an attempt to keep labour in power without a thought about the effect it would have on the working classes.Wages,hospit
als,doctors surgeries,housing for the younger generation, welfare and financial problems etc.etc. etc. While he continues to rake it in.He was as devastating for the working class as Thatcher was.

foxy3rd wrote:
In my opinion just about the worst of these money grabbing politicians is Tony Blair.He flooded the country with all these east European immigrants in an attempt to keep labour in power without a thought about the effect it would have on the working classes.Wages,hospit

als,doctors surgeries,housing for the younger generation, welfare and financial problems etc.etc. etc. While he continues to rake it in.He was as devastating for the working class as Thatcher was.

Has a lovely £8 million house in Connaught Sq too. And a £20 M fortune. Real working class hero.

I have never understood why anyone apart from public sector workers and the shell suits 10 kids brigade voted labour. They flooded the country with loads of cheap labour drove down the wages of traditional working class jobs , warehouses, factories, brickies etc and claimed they helped the working class.

On The Inside, What can I say, a member of a political party attempting to defend people who take money for next to nothing. You did not reply to my comment reference the £21 per hour? Is this because it is probably right and the £850 per week is this too justified? I agree with godobe,gathin, Llanmartinangel and foxy3rd. It is because of people like you that Newport is in the mess it is. Accountable? how many councillors have been brought to book around the state of Newport, none of the councillors thats how many, the Labour Council always appear to be unable to comment when the Argus call, they are very accountable! If you do live in Newport and have children as I do then just remember the legacy we are leaving them, a town that is a disgrace owing millions of pounds led by a leader voted in as have previous leaders. I still believe that no one should serve more than one term as a councillor as they get way too cosy, they should miss one term then run again, this will end the comfort zone of a career councillor and might actually mean they do something! Votefornoneoftheabov
e, they promise what you want then take the money and do nothing. Stick to the political party you are affiliated to, they won't make a blind bit of difference to Newport! Thanks for recognising that you do not have to make an apology to Mr Nutt at least you have taken time to think about it. Have a lovely day, won't you.

It takes a hundred senators to run the USA pop 300million + We have 50 councillors in Newport, pop 140 thousand