Golden Goodbyes
The House of Commons is set to reveal details of the 'Golden Goodbye' payments - made to MPs who left parliament at the May 2010 general election.
The news is expected in three or four weeks time - and comes after the authorities backed down in the face of a freedom of information appeal - from the Leicester Mercury, a local newspaper.
Good for them!
MPs who leave the Commons at an election are entitled to a resettlement grant worth up to £65,738 - allegedly to help them cope with the transition back to life after politics and outside Westminster.
But of course lots of them - who shall be named and shamed - were already moonlighting from their day jobs as MPs - and earning considerable sums of money in some cases.
Apparently 250 of the 255 MPs who left the Commons at last year's election - have claimed the payout - which varies between 50% and 100% of MPs' annual salary depending on age and length of service.
If all the departing MPs claimed the full amount - the total for last year's election would run to more than £16 million.
So let's see what information is released in a few weeks time.
The news is expected in three or four weeks time - and comes after the authorities backed down in the face of a freedom of information appeal - from the Leicester Mercury, a local newspaper.
Good for them!
MPs who leave the Commons at an election are entitled to a resettlement grant worth up to £65,738 - allegedly to help them cope with the transition back to life after politics and outside Westminster.
But of course lots of them - who shall be named and shamed - were already moonlighting from their day jobs as MPs - and earning considerable sums of money in some cases.
Apparently 250 of the 255 MPs who left the Commons at last year's election - have claimed the payout - which varies between 50% and 100% of MPs' annual salary depending on age and length of service.
If all the departing MPs claimed the full amount - the total for last year's election would run to more than £16 million.
So let's see what information is released in a few weeks time.
