Unite trio slam Ipsa

Representatives from trade union Unite laid out for a committee of MPs today the many ways Ipsa is hurting some of the lowest-paid people in Parliament.

It was an interesting session of the administration committee, with the focus far removed from the beer and sandwiches of yore.

They told the MPs straight - the price rises at catering facilities are hammering the researchers, who are on an average salary of just £20,000 per annum.

Unite's Louise Haigh, Shelley Phelps and Lauren Edwards pointed out this is far below market rate, given the qualifications most researchers have.

Price rises for food have come on top of the Ipsa misery.

Haigh claimed the expenses watchdog is "driving down salaries" and has also banned MPs from giving staff bonuses.

Geoffery Clifton-Brown observed there seemed to be even longer queues despite the price hike.

Edwards pointed out that researchers tend to have to stay at their desks, and even if they did have time to leave the estate their options are limited.

It was refreshing to see researchers before a committee, reminding MPs that working for them is not the amazing experience they may think it is.

At one point Mike Weatherley (Con, Hove) asked the Unite reps how big Annie's Bar is - a strange question since it closed before any of them were out of university.

Committee chair Sir Alan Haselhurst, always the gent, revealed he might have been in there a few times.

In fact Sir Alan revealed he "made a point of going there" recently, conscious as he was of the loss of Bellamy's, but he doubted it would work as a staff bar as it is "an enclosed box".

Haigh's final point was hard to argue with - subsidised catering facilities for staff are found all across industry, especially when staff work outside 9 to 5.

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