Labour-supporting FT tries to deflect Reform’s criticism of Starmer. Bizarre that Lowe is being attacked because he’s rich and said he doesn’t need his salary so he’s giving it to charity. He never said ‘ordinary’ MPs without wealth should do the same. He did point out that there are other MPs equally rich who take the salary and all the expenses / gifts they can get their hands on though.
Railjim on
The backlash mainly seems to be other MPs complaining that Lowe is making them look bad.
jimmyrayreid on
Yes. It’s a shitty thing to do. The chartists campaigned hard to get MPs a salary. Being an MP should not be the preserve of aesetics and the independently wealthy
Edit. It is actually bad for an MP to publicly donate money. Yes. It is not a good thing for an MP to effectively subsidise the constituency with charity donations. It makes future elections unfair. The voters of his constituency will now be choosing between the guy that drops 100k a year and the guy that does not.
He can do this anonymously but has chosen not to. He is leveraging his wealth for electoral gain and undermining other MPs and candidates that cannot do that.
This is why the chartists wanted all MPs, including the rich ones, to take a salary.
HauntedFurniture on
> He said that criticism of his donations were “pretty petty”, adding: “A decent percentage of MPs are equally as well off as me. Keir Starmer is pretty rich but he still lets people buy his clothes and glasses.”
It is extremely petty to criticise Lowe for this and he is correct here. It is disingenuous to present Lowe as some lone millionaire who has somehow snuck into politics when we are all aware of the extent to which the profession of MP is becoming the domain of the wealthy.
I disagree completely with his politics, but in this respect he is doing good for his local community and more wealthy MPs should follow his lead.
MeanCustardCreme on
This sub: “OMG he is a millionaire he shouldn’t be paid a salary!”
Lowe: “I’m donating it all to charity”
This sub: “OMG he’s using it to buy the working class vote!”
Let’s face it: he’s a Reform MP and you don’t like that, so nothing he does will satisfy you. Even if he wrote up policies which quite literally agree with everything you want to see in society, you still would criticise at every opportunity. The reality is, you enjoy having an enemy because it gives you somebody to blame for your problems and that makes you feel better.
GenerallyDull on
You can disagree with his politics, but you are performing some very lefty mental gymnastics to criticise his donating his salary to charity.
SuperrVillain85 on
Was he donating £5k a month before he was being given £5k a month by the state?
towelracks on
Absolutely disagree with his political stances, but I don’t disagree with what he’s doing here.
Outside-Risk-9398 on
I’m vehemently against his politics and his previous choice of football team investments (still not over Southampton beating Leeds in the play off final…), but it’s hilarious to me that anyone can possibly try and construe this as being in any way negative.
Why shouldn’t he be able to donate his money to local causes if he can? Nobody expects all other MPs to be capable of doing the same and anyone who says otherwise is just being performative.
I despise nearly all of the Reform rhetoric but blind party loyalty doesn’t do anyone any good. The guy’s doing a decent thing with money he knows he doesn’t need, good for him.
Potential_Cover1206 on
From a quick look, it seems that it’s MPs from other parties who are complaining.
I wonder why MPs from other parties are complaining that an MP from a minor party, who happens to be wealthy, is donating money to his local charities?
Is it possible that they’re upset that it makes them look greedy and self entitled ?
NagelRawls on
I don’t see the issue here? If he can afford to donate part of this salary to charity then good for him, I don’t think it really pressures other MPs to do the same and let’s be honest, if he didn’t donate money he’d probably get attacked for another angle for taking the salary while being rich. I really dislike reform but this is nonsense
Dangerous-Moment-895 on
Well if you don’t have well paid public servants you know they will resort to corruption
judochop1 on
eh, bit of an own goal to draw attention to this isn’t it?
I think usual rules should apply for politicians and making sure that their tax payer salaries aren’t being used for any nefarious favours.
Giving to local good causes is fine, Nadia Whittome gave hers away, just don’t get too distracted for the fact its charity, but more that they aren’t trying to gain advantage from it anywhere for political purposes.
hobbityone on
I have no issue with him donating to charity in general, however I do feel that publicly announcing the projects and attaching his name to it is reasonably shady.
Imagine if a millionaire prospective MP decided to donate some of his wealth to local residents.
At what point does it pass the point and become bribery.
Ideally he should have donated the money into some sort of blind trust to donate the money to various charities without his direct influence or attaching his name to it.
dftaylor on
Honestly, it’s ludicrous anyone on a £90k+ salary is looking for freebies. And that a PM is doing so either.
No one expects MPs to donate part of their salaries just cause someone else does, but it’d be nice if they didn’t abuse expenses.
Melodic-Display-6311 on
Seems to be pretty desperate to slander a Reform MP, of a Labour MP gave away their salary they’d be celebrated.
Meanwhile there some on here who condone Starmer accepting freebies, corruption is fine for some as long as the politician wears red.
16 Comments
Labour-supporting FT tries to deflect Reform’s criticism of Starmer. Bizarre that Lowe is being attacked because he’s rich and said he doesn’t need his salary so he’s giving it to charity. He never said ‘ordinary’ MPs without wealth should do the same. He did point out that there are other MPs equally rich who take the salary and all the expenses / gifts they can get their hands on though.
The backlash mainly seems to be other MPs complaining that Lowe is making them look bad.
Yes. It’s a shitty thing to do. The chartists campaigned hard to get MPs a salary. Being an MP should not be the preserve of aesetics and the independently wealthy
Edit. It is actually bad for an MP to publicly donate money. Yes. It is not a good thing for an MP to effectively subsidise the constituency with charity donations. It makes future elections unfair. The voters of his constituency will now be choosing between the guy that drops 100k a year and the guy that does not.
He can do this anonymously but has chosen not to. He is leveraging his wealth for electoral gain and undermining other MPs and candidates that cannot do that.
This is why the chartists wanted all MPs, including the rich ones, to take a salary.
> He said that criticism of his donations were “pretty petty”, adding: “A decent percentage of MPs are equally as well off as me. Keir Starmer is pretty rich but he still lets people buy his clothes and glasses.”
It is extremely petty to criticise Lowe for this and he is correct here. It is disingenuous to present Lowe as some lone millionaire who has somehow snuck into politics when we are all aware of the extent to which the profession of MP is becoming the domain of the wealthy.
I disagree completely with his politics, but in this respect he is doing good for his local community and more wealthy MPs should follow his lead.
This sub: “OMG he is a millionaire he shouldn’t be paid a salary!”
Lowe: “I’m donating it all to charity”
This sub: “OMG he’s using it to buy the working class vote!”
Let’s face it: he’s a Reform MP and you don’t like that, so nothing he does will satisfy you. Even if he wrote up policies which quite literally agree with everything you want to see in society, you still would criticise at every opportunity. The reality is, you enjoy having an enemy because it gives you somebody to blame for your problems and that makes you feel better.
You can disagree with his politics, but you are performing some very lefty mental gymnastics to criticise his donating his salary to charity.
Was he donating £5k a month before he was being given £5k a month by the state?
Absolutely disagree with his political stances, but I don’t disagree with what he’s doing here.
I’m vehemently against his politics and his previous choice of football team investments (still not over Southampton beating Leeds in the play off final…), but it’s hilarious to me that anyone can possibly try and construe this as being in any way negative.
Why shouldn’t he be able to donate his money to local causes if he can? Nobody expects all other MPs to be capable of doing the same and anyone who says otherwise is just being performative.
I despise nearly all of the Reform rhetoric but blind party loyalty doesn’t do anyone any good. The guy’s doing a decent thing with money he knows he doesn’t need, good for him.
From a quick look, it seems that it’s MPs from other parties who are complaining.
I wonder why MPs from other parties are complaining that an MP from a minor party, who happens to be wealthy, is donating money to his local charities?
Is it possible that they’re upset that it makes them look greedy and self entitled ?
I don’t see the issue here? If he can afford to donate part of this salary to charity then good for him, I don’t think it really pressures other MPs to do the same and let’s be honest, if he didn’t donate money he’d probably get attacked for another angle for taking the salary while being rich. I really dislike reform but this is nonsense
Well if you don’t have well paid public servants you know they will resort to corruption
eh, bit of an own goal to draw attention to this isn’t it?
I think usual rules should apply for politicians and making sure that their tax payer salaries aren’t being used for any nefarious favours.
Giving to local good causes is fine, Nadia Whittome gave hers away, just don’t get too distracted for the fact its charity, but more that they aren’t trying to gain advantage from it anywhere for political purposes.
I have no issue with him donating to charity in general, however I do feel that publicly announcing the projects and attaching his name to it is reasonably shady.
Imagine if a millionaire prospective MP decided to donate some of his wealth to local residents.
At what point does it pass the point and become bribery.
Ideally he should have donated the money into some sort of blind trust to donate the money to various charities without his direct influence or attaching his name to it.
Honestly, it’s ludicrous anyone on a £90k+ salary is looking for freebies. And that a PM is doing so either.
No one expects MPs to donate part of their salaries just cause someone else does, but it’d be nice if they didn’t abuse expenses.
Seems to be pretty desperate to slander a Reform MP, of a Labour MP gave away their salary they’d be celebrated.
Meanwhile there some on here who condone Starmer accepting freebies, corruption is fine for some as long as the politician wears red.