An MP claiming to need a second job to afford childcare got exactly the sympathy you’d expect

As the Owen Paterson and Geoffrey Cox cases fuel the row over whether MPs should have second jobs, the Financial Times’ Sebastian Payne posted a Twitter thread of snippets from his article on the issue. It contained this nugget.

“There’s no way I could be an MP without my outside interests. My wife works full time, I’ve got kids and need the money for childcare.” To the average voter, a salary of £82,000-a-year might seem generous. But to listen to this MP, the struggle is real.https://t.co/N5q1A5yTN9

— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) November 9, 2021

The sympathy didn’t exactly flow freely.

1.

have any of these arseholes heard of minimum wage https://t.co/2mv7EYHL7p

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) November 9, 2021

2.

I worry tiny violins might sell out before I can get the required amount needed to play for this. https://t.co/PisYNdqI5g

— Tiernan Douieb (@TiernanDouieb) November 9, 2021

3.

Would dearly like to know if 'childcare' is code for 'private school'

Yes childcare is expensive- but this is a two-earner household (full-time) with one on £80k, plus for non-London MPs a generous rent expenses system… https://t.co/1TJqBuQYoE

— Chaminda Jayanetti (@cjayanetti) November 9, 2021

4.

Curveball: if the politcal 'talent' can't budget for their own family on £80,000, maybe we need to be looking to the people on £20,000 who can. https://t.co/kApRpufD4J

— THE SECRET TORY (@secrettory12) November 9, 2021

5.

Well, if people can’t afford kids…. https://t.co/bHwaS9Icbg

— Sarah (@sarahvanpelt) November 9, 2021

6.

I wonder if this anonymous (but clearly Tory) MP voted to cut UCredit for the poorest families by £20 per week or if he supports the limit of child benefit to just two children?

Millions of low paid Britons have families & their "struggle is VERY real"#ToryCorruption #C4News https://t.co/qcPUiCv3Gv

— Incorrigible FCA (@ImIncorrigible) November 9, 2021

7.

they should learn to budget https://t.co/gHADmNjmtI

— a rare photo of sean connery signed by roger moore (@steamedhamms) November 9, 2021

8.

I get 600 quid a month and I can't work due to disability so I'm sorry if I'm not shedding a tear for people on 82,000 a year https://t.co/V5EKKfjyCY

— Terry Spooky Fuck (@terryfuck45) November 9, 2021

9.

If MPs need a second job to "remain in touch with the real world", might I suggest we need HGV drivers more than we need political advisors to the gambling industry.

— Russ Jones (@RussInCheshire) November 9, 2021

10.

If you can't live off £82k + expenses, perhaps getting a job deciding what taxpayer cash is spent on is a poor career choice…

— Addy Atky 🇬🇧 (@Addy_Atky) November 9, 2021

11.

Holy fuckballs, welcome to reality https://t.co/hkWP6bVXOD

— Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) November 9, 2021

Historian Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley was one of several people posting an obvious next step for the unnamed politician.

has this man considered WORKING TO BRING IN AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE LEGISLATION SINCE HE IS CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, A LEGISLATOR https://t.co/4rW9Vbzclv

— Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley (@lottelydia) November 9, 2021

That comes under the heading of ‘Doing your first job.’

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Ian Hislop pulled not a single punch to explain the Owen Paterson fiasco

Source Sebastian Payne Image Screengrab