Time for tighter rules on jobs done by MPs

Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the East Kilbride News.

Never in my working life did I think I’d share the same job title as the Rt Hon George Osborne MP.

But life never ceases to throw up surprises and, on Friday, I found out that myself and Mr Osborne have at least one thing in common.

The Member of Parliament for Tatton, in Cheshire East, was announced as Editor of the London Evening Standard.

It was a piece of news which excited those who occupy a position within the Westminster bubble. Not only will Mr Osborne be part of a government creating news, he will be throwing it on pages minutes before deadline.

One wonders if he will have the same problems as the rest of us? Yelling for 100 words to fill a page or asking the sub-editors for a last-minute change.

However, away from the joking and carry-on, there is a serious issue which requires addressing and Mr Osborne’s newspaper appointment brings into sharp focus the following question – should MPs have a second job?

It’s reported that Mr Osborne will be able to carry out his constituency and parliament business while running a paper and fulfilling other roles.

An MP earns a salary of £74,962 before expenses which is not an inconsiderable amount of money – but is it a part-time job or a full-time job? Given the importance of the position, the number of enquiries and requests for assistance received, the amount of time spent in London on parliament business, the reports needing read and emails needing sent, I’d have thought it would most definitely be the latter.

What do you think? Why not get in touch with us using one of the methods on the left-hand side of the page.