Tory’s £100k a year from probed firm

MP is test row lab consultant

A TOP Tory is earning £100,000 a year from the company at the centre of a drug test tampering scandal.

Ex Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson is doing consultancy work for Randox Laboratories, where it is claimed forensic samples were doctored.

Two men were held on suspicion of perverting justice by allegedly manipulating test results in criminal cases. Mr Paterson first visited Randox when he was in opposition being lobbied on cutting bureaucracy in the NHS. He later met Randox, based in Crumlin, Co Antrim, to discuss tax changes. He now gets £100,000 a year from the firm for 16 hours’ work a month. That payment doubled last month from £50,000. He declared the increase just days

after Parliament was closed for the election. He was cleared for the job in August 2015 by the Government adviser on business appointees. He also gets £500 an hour – totalling £12,000 a year – from a sausage firm in Downpatrick, Co Down.

Mr Paterson, standing for re-election in North Shropshire, has been earning all this on top of his £75,000 MP’s salary, bringing his income to £187,000.

Shadow Northern Ireland minister Steve Pound said: “Most people in this country are fed up with former ministers filling their boots at every opportunity.”

Our attempts to contact Mr Paterson were unsuccessful.

EARNINGS Paterson rakes in £187k a year