The Hansard Society interviewed new politicians and revealed what life is like when they first 'climbed the greasy pole,' as former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli put it. A dozen members of the Welsh assembly were asked in July 2011 and seven more during the following April. Eleven of them took part in interviews. Half of the respondents said their pay of £53,852 was more than their previous salary, while the other half had a cut or saw no difference.