ConservativeHome's ToryDiary

Tory John Butterfill leads calls for 66% pay rise for MPs

Both the Mail and Express splash MPs' demands for a £40,000 pay rise across their front pages.  The articles are uncharitable about the hours worked by most MPs but they probably reflect the public mood.  One of the leading champions of higher pay for MPs is veteran Tory backbencher Sir John Butterfill.  He tells the Mail:

"There are a lot of unhappy bunnies.  Not that many years ago, we were on a par with GPs and heads of comprehensive schools. They are now on £100,000. Over the years, we have been downgraded and compared to junior directors of middle-sized companies at the last review. But, even so, we have failed to keep up."

Sir John and other shop stewards of our elected representatives are probably asking for £100,000 in the hope that they'll end up with something closer to £75,000.  For James Frayne of the TaxPayers’ Alliance the pay claim is proof of the disconnect between MPs and voters:

"At a time when people have become totally disillusioned with the performance and behaviour of politicians, it is extraordinary they should be demanding that taxpayers pay them a six-figure salary."

If Sir John really is an 'unhappy bunny' he should vacate his Bournemouth West seat and retire on his gold-plated Commons pension.  There are plenty of other - more enthusiastic - Conservatives ready to fill his boots in return for his 'junior director' salary.

The cost of being Shadow Foreign Secretary: £600,000

The Times, trawling through the new Register of Members’ Interests, reveals that William Hague's income has dropped by £600,000 since he became Shadow Foreign Secretary.  That massive drop in income for Parliament's biggest earner still leaves Mr Hague with a £400,000 income, however.

Labour MP and former Europe minister Denis McShane criticised Mr Hague for his outside interests and called for the Tory leader to appoint a full-time foreign affairs spokesman:

“[William Hague's] obsession with earning zillions may impress his business chums, but it’s not serious politics. Most MPs will be goggle-eyed with jealousy, but David Cameron should appoint someone who is prepared to do the job full time.”

Mr Hague is also completing a biography of anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.

Our charitable Tory MPs

MPs don’t get much respect these days. So it’s good to see their work with charities recognised in the ePolitix.com Charity Champion Awards. It’s also good to see Conservative MPs nominated in so many categories – thereby challenging a few stereotypes.

Among the Conservative nominations this year are Greg Clark (nominated by the Association of Garden Trusts for his high profile campaign against ‘garden grabbing’), Ed Vaizey (nominated by YoungMinds as “Children and Youth Champion” - also see his 'homeless project diary'), Jeremy Hunt (nominated by the Multiple Sclerosis Society) and Bill Wiggin (nominated by the RSPCA for his work on animal welfare).

Other Conservative nominees include David Cameron, Ann Widdecombe, Sir Patrick Cormack, Roger Gale, Angela Browning, Grant Shapps, Richard Benyon and John Bercow.

Friends of the Earth have jointly nominated Oliver Letwin and Norman Baker for their bi-partisan work on climate change.

Good to see that voting in these awards is comparatively open and democratic. Anyone with a Parliamentary e-mail address can vote here.

Boris Johnson: rise or fall?

Ever since his Oxford Union debating days, Boris Johnson has made a career out of being the antithesis of most modern politicians - unpolished and self-deprecating.

His current spot of bother comes down to another case of careless generalising. To his credit, he fell on his editorial sword after the Spectator's leader on Liverpool's sense of victimhood, and has recovered remarkably in that he was recently appointed to help promote Liverpool's culture.

Yesterday's non-apology was classic Boris and must have entertained far more people than it annoyed. Perhaps he has a perceived naivety about him that helps me get away with things?

Being Shadow Higher Education spokesman, he is a prominent theme in this year's CF Freshers' Fair campaign and his brand is unlikely to have been tarnished too much by this latest issue, in the eyes of non-Papua New Guinean students at least.

But does that very brand now preclude this intelligent and ambitious MP's climbing of the ministerial ladder?

Boris is still very popular with a lot of people (see both his devoted blog and fan club), and is one of the few MPs to regularly write a blog.  However, whilst his personal relationships are not necessarily a political issue, voters may have lost trust and respect for him after his second extra-martial affair.

If you would like to give him a helping hand, you still have a week to apply to be his researcher.

Deputy Editor

Is Philip Hollobone Britain's best value MP?

On today's frontpage I posted a 'Sun Says' editorial and its "a poor MP is as rare as a broke bookie" message.  The post has provoked some excited commentary from ConservativeHome visitors.  "Lucy74" was one of the few defenders of higher salaries for MPs: "The simple fact is that our brightest and best people can often earn considerably more than £60k in the private sector."  "Therefore," she continued, "only independently wealthy or people unconcerned with money are interested in standing for election, narrowing the pool of selection considerably."  But, speaking for the majority of commentators, "Wat Tyler" wrote:

"On MPs' salaries we market fans note:

a) there is no shortage of MP supply at current prices
b) there is a growing shortage of demand (as witnessed by low turn-out)

Implication: the price needs to fall."

Speaking to a Westminster insider today about MPs' salaries and allowances, I learnt something very interesting about the Tory MP for Kettering; Philip Hollobone.  Philip makes no use of his £85,000 staffing allowance.  I have just spoken to him and he made it clear that he's not running any crusade on the issue.  He has no problem whatsoever with other MPs using their allowance and understands that it would be impossible for a frontbencher not to employ staff.  His simple reason for writing his own letters and responding to all emails personally is, he says, that he prefers the directness that he has with his Kettering constituents as a result.  He told me that it gives him a sharper understanding of his constituents' concerns.  Very impressive and probably a unique arrangement.

It's unlikely that Philip will be promoted to the frontbench any time soon.  He supports Philip Davies' Better Off Out campaign and has agreed to write about leaving the EU for ConservativeHome's YourPlatform in the next couple of weeks.

Nominations for Outstanding Parliamentarian

Today is the second day of nominations for the Inaugural Conservative Movement Awards.  The conservative movement is defined in a new briefing on the ten points blog.  Yesterday we sought nominations for 'Best Writing' and all nomination categories will remain open until 10th May.  We'll be seeking nominations for Best National Campaign tomorrow.

Please use the space below to make your nomination and write a brief citation of no more than thirty words on who you think should win the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.  The parliamentarian could be a member of the Commons, Lords, European Parliament or any of the devolved assemblies.  Ideally they will have made an exceptional contribution in the last twelve months.

A judging panel (to be announced) will then choose three nominations from each of the twelve categories and participants in May's ConservativeHome Members' Panel will vote on each category.  The awards will be presented at a forthcoming awards ceremony in London.

Goodman, Key and Young are best responders

A post on Guido Fawkes earlier today alerted me to the excellent WriteToThem.com website and its MP Responsiveness League Table.   Top of the league is Paul Goodman (who is also exceptional in responding to the comments made on his regular ConservativeHome posts).  Second is Sir George Young and third is my own local MP, Robert Key.

Not only are the top three 'first responders' all Tories, the overall response rate of Conservative MPs is excellent:

• 74% Tory MPs responded within 2-3 weeks.
• The LibDem rate was 14% lower at 60%.
• The yellow army just pipped the red army rate of 58%.
• Parliament's least savoury parties - Sinn Fein (20%) and Respect (7%) - had the poorest response rates.

Snail mail letters might get less attention than communications sent through WriteToThem as this service becomes more popular and its results more regularly analysed...

On a personal note I have to agree with Robert Key's high personal rating.  My home in Salisbury is situated on the bend of a road and in the last year or so, three cars have come crashing towards my front door.  Pasted below is a photo of the most spectacular episode.  Robert Key has been brilliant at sorting the issue out.   The roadside kerb has now been raised after his intervention and I can now sit in my living room, watching Desperate Housewives et al, with less fear of a lorry coming through the window any moment.  Thanks Rob!