Cavalier with Public Money
The media has suddenly become interested in the fees paid to politicians for appearing on news and current affairs programmes with the biggest earners being Labour MPs who have raked in £141,260 since 2010.
According to the report below from the Politics Home web site Labour's Alan Johnson and Diane Abbott came top of the pops with £58,000 and £43,000 respectively.
Now I appeared on lots of TV and radio programmes during my years as a full-time union official with NUPE and Unison, but it wouldn't have crossed my mind to expect or seek a fee for getting across a message on behalf of union members.
So if you ask me, all this nonsense should stop and MPs would be put under pressure to waive any further fees of this kind, while the BBC should be told not to dish out public money in such a cavalier fashion.
The BBC has paid 65 MPs more than £200,000 since 2010 to appear on TV and radio programmes. The Sun reports that Labour MPs have benefitted most, taking home £141,260 of the £203,132 total. Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson was the highest paid, receiving £58k, and Hackney MP Diane Abbot came second with £43k.
