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[jonmorris]

Rail, Bus, Taxi what ever getting to work is all part and parcel of the working day so claiming is out of order - and yes you can travel first class to London from Hatfield/Potters Bar on FCC

My company will pay for a taxi if I have to work out of hours, and I am sure most would - so I am not sure why Grant would be expected to pay himself.

And you can NOT get a first class ticket to London from Brookmans Park, as there are no trains (bar some late night services) that call there with first class accommodation!

[GhostTown68]

Rail, Bus, Taxi what ever getting to work is all part and parcel of the working day so claiming is out of order - and yes you can travel first class to London from Hatfield/Potters Bar on FCC

My company will pay for a taxi if I have to work out of hours, and I am sure most would - so I am not sure why Grant would be expected to pay himself.

And you can NOT get a first class ticket to London from Brookmans Park, as there are no trains (bar some late night services) that call there with first class accommodation!

Whats out of hours though? I cant see why someone as wealthy as Grant would need to claim for travel at all?

Most people dont get reimbursed for travel to their place of work do they, why are MPs any different?

As for the first class bit, is that relatively new? I used to get the train all the time and I always saw 1st class carriages going into London?

[jonmorris]

It is my understanding that MPs can often end up working until very late, when trains may have stopped running. Therefore, it is accepted that you can claim for a taxi or a hotel stay. However, Grant can actually enjoy a train service until 0136 (which I believe does stop at Brookmans Park). If Mike should win at the election, I will fully support him on being able to claim for travel out of hours, as MPs don't all work 9-5. In fact, the good ones are the ones who put in those extra hours surely?

I will let Grant come on and answer this in more detail, as I feel that I am now speaking for him and I don't actually know him!

Finally, yes, there are many FCC trains that have first class - but none of the inner-suburban trains do, that's the class 313 trains that go into Moorgate in the week and King's Cross late at night or weekends.

The fast and semi-fast trains don't call at Brookmans Park (or Welham Green), and it's very likely that in the coming years the all-station services will become part of London Overground with a 15-minute service frequency all day - which will be excellent. If Hatfield then became part of an extended Oyster scheme, such as zone 7 or 8 (WGC being zone 9) then you would then have a very easy way for people in London to travel to Hatfield or WGC for shopping, leisure etc. Of course, I'm jumping the gun yet and no official announcements have been made or will be made for a while!

I'm also way off topic, and don't think it's the right time to set up a separate thread on this - so the above is just for information purposes and not for further discussion. 

[Rocket_fan]

I take your point JM but whether they are in hours or out they are all paid £65000 so why should they need to claim for travel - If I was to deliver a package to Glasgow for someone I wouldn't be able to claim for a night in a Hotel before I drive back. Not sure about Mike but Grant does have his printing business which obviously brings in more pennies.

ALL MPs should be able to live on £65000

Off the topic i'm interested in the new zones that maybe introduced - I assume this falls inline with the reopening of the Kings Cross tunnel they are working on which links up with CrossRail

[jonmorris]

It's tough; any employer that asks you to work beyond your normal duties will usually cover you for expenses - so the question is whether you can claim for train travel outside of hours - and if not, would that make you just decide to stay in a hotel or get a taxi?

Why wouldn't you be able to claim for a night in a hotel if you were making a delivery in Glasgow and needed a stay over before driving back? Does your employer expect you to pay for costs that only arose because of your job?

As for the trains; this is not part of the Thameslink Project. In fact, it's totally separate and would be part of a new franchise, with TfL taking over part of FCC's current route. The changes to the Travelcard/Oyster zones is also a 'work in progress'!

I also have it on fairly good authority that the link up between the two FCC lines may not actually go ahead now - even though the tunnel is already done. Expect to hear more about that after the election though! Or, if it does - it certainly won't be by 2015. I'm told we might not even get the fancy new trains that will be ordered for Thameslink, although there's some more information that I can't divulge.

[ADM]

I think you are missing the point on travel expenses.  MPs (unlike most of us) are expected to work at two seperate places - their constituency and Westminster.  Therefore I don't have a problem with our MP claiming expenses for any reasonable travel between the two, whether it's within 'normal working hours' or not.
 
Some of the hotel bills are a completely different issue...

[Rocket_fan]

I think you are missing the point on travel expenses.  MPs (unlike most of us) are expected to work at two seperate places - their constituency and Westminster.  Therefore I don't have a problem with our MP claiming expenses for any reasonable travel between the two, whether it's within 'normal working hours' or not.
 
Some of the hotel bills are a completely different issue...

No point has been missed other than they are paid £65000 which is ample

[ADM]

That's a seperate point.  We're talking about travel expenses.  Are you suggesting the Rt Hon member for the Orkneys gets no more than our MP.  Think it through!

[Rocket_fan]

Correct go to the top of the class

[ADM]

That is not a practical suggestion.
 
I'm all for stopping MPs exploiting the expenses system but let's propose a sensible alternative.

[Rocket_fan]

Ok then - lets pay them the National average wage - perhaps then we will get MP's that want to serve us and not just line their pockets, lets also not forget that along with the £65k they already get most of them have their own business and/or work as consultants for many large companies often earning double their MP's wage.

[jonmorris]

Let's pay everyone the same wage. Cleaners, bankers, politicians, police officers, doctors, airline pilots...

How about you pay MPs a good salary, but stop them from doing any other work while they are an MP. You would need some sort of legislation that protects their jobs while they are 'away' so they can go back to work after. Otherwise, nobody would ever want to be an MP - it's not a job for life.

[mickeyl]

Why offer the national average wage when the 'Minimum wage' would do??
 
Only allow people on Benefit to apply - that would reduce unemployment at the same time

[jonmorris]

If I knew I'd only ever get paid minimum wage, then I'd much rather go for a simple 9-5 job with no responsibilities and the ability to just switch off at the end of the day.

[Slam]

Ok then - lets pay them the National average wage - perhaps then we will get MP's that want to serve us and not just line their pockets, lets also not forget that along with the £65k they already get most of them have their own business and/or work as consultants for many large companies often earning double their MP's wage.

A very predictable comment I'm afraid.  You may have utopian view of the world in which everyone should have the conviction to devote their lives to a given cause, but that just isn't how it works.
 
If you want the best minds running the country, then you are going to have to pay the money to attract them and at £65k, it isn't very attractive.  I believe MPs should be paid more (true - outside interests should be limited to ensure you get value, but not until the pay reflects the position).
 
It SHOULD become a career of choice - a competitive arena where the very best get the positions (or to fight for the positions).
 
Slam.