Our local MPs Nigel Adams and Julian Sturdy are, I think, going to lose on June 8th no matter what the result is. Both pay their wives as either part time secretary or part time office manager but IPSA the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority won't pay for new employees who are related to MPs after the election.
Their website (HERE) says “We have decided to end funding for new employees who are related to MPs from the next General Election onwards. We believe that the employment of ‘connected parties’ is out of step with modern employment practice, which requires fair and open recruitment to encourage diversity in the workplace.”
Since they will no longer be MPs after some point in mid May when parliament is dissolved ready for the General Election, any employees after that date will be "new" and I assume this will mean they can no longer employ their own wives. I think it might be worth a letter to the York Press/Selby Times asking them to confirm it? A bit of bad publicity must help. Something like this:
I wonder if we might see an end to a bit of nepotism in Selby after the election. Perhaps Mr Adams can confirm he will no longer employ his own wife as part time office manager? The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will not fund relatives after the General Election so I assume the Adams family must take a pay cut and will therefore lose financially whatever the result on June 8th. It will also be helpful to know if there will actually be a new part time office manager and if so, will they be paid at the same rate as the old one? I assume probably not.
NB Sturdy employs his wife as part time secretary. If you want to check their register of interests yourself you can do it HERE for Adams and HERE for Sturdy.
