I’m all for MPs spending money on websites* and, just because you can set something up for free in five minutes, that doesn’t mean an MP can’t sensibly spend a reasonable chunk of money on a website. Good MP websites contain a wealth of content, design and functionality for which it is reasonable to pay something.
But the news that Conservative MP Angela Browning’s spent £9,635 for a pretty basic website plus 30 months hosting/support does look very odd. From what I’ve seen, I can’t see how that price is justified: it is substantially more than a range of website suppliers have charged the Liberal Democrats or one of our MPs for doing websites that were substantially more work to do.
(By contrast, she also spent £2,714 on getting a company to redectorate her kitchen, including new worktops and a sink. A tip for any MP not sure on what a website should cost: if you’re spending more than three times as much on your website as on your kitchen, something’s most likely gone wrong.)
* Though given how closely their MP and political roles are entwined, it’s almost always best to pay for a website out of party funds rather than Parliamentary allowances.
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The Joy of Six 1578
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A Week in Politics #6
Fifty years
The abuse that threatens democracy
Tim
David Raw
Richard Cripps
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paul barker
9 Comments
Glancing briefly at the website, it’s gratuitously overcomplicated for no particular reason. I’d say she got scammed by some “consultant”.
£9k for that?
I am seriously in the wrong business!
How many houses and constitunecy offices does Malcolm Bruce actually have and how many are the taxpayers expected to pay for?
Why won’t he tell us how much of our money he has paid to his wife,I thought the Lib Dems were supporters of freedom of information,maybe that only applies to other people’s information?
Another ‘ton of phantom bricks’ al la Rennard?
Good heavens! I could knock that up in a day.
But I wouldn’t admit to it.
To elaborate – I would be ashamed to have my name associated with such a boring and trivial site
“… £9,635 for a pretty basic website plus 30 months hosting/support does look very odd …”
But that’s only £300 a month. Spare a thought for the poor web developer …
John Zims:
How many houses do the Barclay brothers have?
Oh, and how much tax do they pay in the UK?
have I missed something? It says this at the bottom. “Funded from Parliamentary allowances.
Complaints about content should be made initially to the Director of Finance and Administration, House of Commons.”
V confused!
I could make that website and I would most definately class myself as no more than an amatuer website maker. If knew I could make £9k for such a crappy website I would have turned professional years ago and would only work 10 days a year and make £50k min lol