London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

‘Total lack of empathy’: Tory politician slammed for ‘out of touch’ comment on UK MPs ‘desperately difficult’ salary situation

‘Total lack of empathy’: Tory politician slammed for ‘out of touch’ comment on UK MPs ‘desperately difficult’ salary situation

A Conservative politician has been called “out of touch” after claiming British parliamentarians should be earning a six-figure salary since their nearly £82,000 annual pay package was leaving them in a “really grim” situation.

Speaking to the New Statesman magazine, Peter Bottomley, who holds the title of ‘Father of the House of Commons’ as its current longest-serving member, said he was not sure how MPs “manage” with the current salary and called for a pay rise to more than £100,000 a year.

Although the 77-year-old Tory member said he was not struggling financially, he feels the situation is “desperately difficult” for younger MPs. Each of the country’s 650 parliamentarians are paid a standard annual salary of £81,932 – around £50,000 a year higher than the national average income.

While noting that being an MP was the “greatest honour” one could have, Bottomley told the magazine that a “general practitioner in politics ought to be paid roughly the same as a general practitioner (GP) in medicine.”

The average salary for a GP in England is £100,700, but MPs are also entitled to perks and a slew of expenses to cover the cost of work-related spending, staffing, housing and travel allowances, as well as a state pension. Last year, UK PM Boris Johnson shot down an Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority proposal to hike the MP salary by roughly £3,300 per year.

Bottomley’s comments come at a time when the British government has cut the Universal Credit for families struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite charities warning that cancelling the £20-a-week uplift would push thousands of families into poverty.

Admitting that it was “never the right time” to discuss MP salaries, Bottomley said that if an MP “isn’t worth the money, it’s better to change the MP than to change the money.”

The MP was quickly slammed as “out of touch” with the struggles faced by the average Brit, with many suggesting he and other politicians should “try living on £31,461 which is the average UK salary” and then decide which was “really grim.”


One said it was clear Bottomley didn’t “read the room” before making the comments, while others wondered what MPs had done to “deserve a pay rise” when “families up and down the country are having to decide between heat and eat.”

“This government is squeezing you dry of every drop they can, forcing you into poverty and claiming that the far higher salary they receive isn't enough,” one person raged.


Others pointed out the lavish expenses MPs are entitled to, while more brought up Bottomley’s record of voting against welfare and benefit schemes. According to the Parliament tracker website Theyworkforyou.com, Bottomley “consistently voted for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits” between 2012 and 2016.



A few people defended his comments, with one noting that Bottomley’s “point” was that MPs “could earn more with their qualifications” in other professions — but others countered that he could “leave politics” and get better paid employment if that was the case.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×