The Treasury have drawn attention to the £20bn black hole in national finances thanks to the collapse of public sector productivity this decade. You would have thought every new MP would want to show how they can help do more with less to start the fight back for higher productivity and better value for money- not so in Wokingham.
The new Lib Dem MP has advertised under a Lib Dem logo five well paid posts to do his job for him! It can be assumed that these are all taxpayer paid Parliamentary staff, yet they go out under the Lib Dem logo. One of the posts is for a “Campaigns Organiser and Communications Officer “ to “work for Wokingham Liberal Democrats organising campaigns and volunteers for the MP and local elections and for the MP’s Parliamentary office on communications on constituency non party political matters.” Surely such a post should be a Lib Dem volunteer or party funded staffer if the MP can’t be bothered to do it himself?
He wants a speechwriter and drafter of Parliamentary amendments, questions and interventions. He needs a Chief of Staff to sign off constituents letters he cannot be bothered with, and to run the enlarged office. He also wants a Senior Caseworker and a Caseworker. These roles will cost in direct salaries over £200,000 to the tax payer and there will be other staff costs on top of the salaries such as NI and pensions. It sounds as if this will all be paid by the taxpayers.
Wokingham's previous MP, Sir John Redwood spent significantly less on staff; in the last published year 2022-23 Sir John's spend on office staff was £101 ,873, employing 2 members of staff.
Sir John did all his own research, wrote all his own speeches and his daily blog to communicate, drafted any bill amendments and questions, kept himself up to date with Parliament’s agenda and with constituents. Sir John did any local campaigning himself alongside Councillors and volunteers. The two staff members did a great job replying to constituents following discussion with him about the incoming queries. They ran the Parliamentary diary and worked with local institutions and people over meeting arrangements and events. They followed up and resolved difficult cases with local and national government officials. Sir John dealt with the Ministers and Councillors where necessary to try to get a good outcome.
Sir John has written in his blog that he could not have found full time work for 5 staff and have no idea what he would have done with his time if someone was doing his research, identifying and running campaigns, communicating with press and public as well as doing all the casework and signing my letters for him. Surely we should expect more from an MP on a good salary. The productivity of the Wokingham MP office has just halved at a time when everyone in the public sector should be striving to improve it.
