Member News
By Matthew Mulley - 11th November 2009
Changes recommended by the Kelly Commission to the winding-up allowance could leave many researchers penniless if their MP loses the election.
Most people don't realise that if an MP loses their seat in an election their staff also lose their jobs.
There is no way to plan for this – whether or not you are made redundant is no reflection on economic conditions or how hard you work.
It is not even up to your boss.
It instead relies on the whim of around 80,000 members of the public.
You are also banned by both parliamentary protocol, and by Kelly's more stringent recommendations, from doing anything which might be construed as helping influence these voters to keep your boss in his or her job.
So what if the worst happens?
Statutory redundancy pay entitles an employee to one week's salary for every full year worked, but only after two years' service.
Westminster staff rarely stay with one MP for more than two years.
Since each job with an MP counts as new employment, staff could work for five or six years in parliament, for three different MPs, and be entitled to almost nothing in redundancy pay.
On losing their seat MPs are currently entitled to give their staff a redundancy payment of up to two month's salary in the form of a 'bonus' from the winding-up allowance.
Recommendation 19 of the Kelly report removes this prerogative.
There is no central register of salaries, but anecdotal evidence suggests most researcher's salaries are less than similar civil service jobs, and far below comparable private sector work.
The majority of researchers are highly educated, hard-working young people, many of whom had to work as unpaid interns just to get a foot in the door.
The Kelly recommendations would appear to pick on those who earn the least, and punish them most.
Matt Mulley is parliamentary researcher to Anne McGuire.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd