Don’t overdo it, George
Former Chancellor insists that he’s working hard for Britain ... even though he’s coining it in with five jobs
GEORGE Osborne yesterday defended the jobs that earn him six-figure sums on top of his MP’s salary, claiming they are part of his ‘varied and interesting’ contribution to national life.
The ex-Chancellor, who was sacked after the EU referendum, has been heavily criticised for accepting a string of well-paid roles while still serving on the Tory back benches.
These include pocketing £620,000 from after-dinner speeches and taking up a controversial role with the US investment firm BlackRock, which will reportedly earn him a salary of £200,000.
Asked whether his paid work outside the Commons represents a conflict of interest, he said: ‘I was Chancellor of the Exchequer working seven days a week, and now I’m a backbench MP, I made a decision to remain in politics and public life because I wanted to go on contributing to the discussion about helping to improve our country.’
He added: ‘This week is not a bad snapshot of my life. On Monday, I was in New York accepting a Kissinger fellowship at the McCain Institute.
‘Then on Wednesday I was speaking in
‘Sacrificed my position’
the House of Commons about Europe, and here I am with my colleagues promoting the North of England, and later you can come and join me in Knutsford in my constituency.
‘That seems to me a pretty varied and interesting way to spend my time and hopefully make a contribution to our national life through things like the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.’
His comments come after his suggestion earlier this week that he had ‘sacrificed’ his position at the top of government to campaign ‘passionately’ to remain in the European Union.
Mr Osborne was sacked by Theresa May within hours of her entering Number 10. His ‘Project Fear’ predictions of an immediate recession if Britain decided to leave the EU have since proved unfounded.
The former Chancellor – who in effect has five jobs including his parliamentary role – made the remarks defending his earnings as he launched a report calling on the Prime Minister to address a regional divide in the education system.
He said improving educational attainment was the most important way of ‘closing the NorthSouth gap that has bedevilled our country for many, many decades’.
Mr Osborne added that a crucial aspect of this was a move towards opening more academies.
On Mrs May’s plan to open new grammar schools, he said: ‘Personally – and I know there will be differences of opinion here – I’m not against looking at how you can help very academically talented children get the best possible education in the state system. A lot of people I represent in my Cheshire constituency go to grammar schools in Altrincham.
‘But for me the question’s always been what do you do with the people, the kids, who aren’t going to the grammar schools, and many of them come to the comprehensives in my constituency from Altrincham.’
Earlier this week, Mr Osborne launched a bitter attack on Mrs May over Brexit, warning that he would fight the Government’s plans to curb immigration.
In a rare Commons appearance, he accused the Prime Minister of failing to prioritise the economy in the Brexit negotiations.
While Mr Osborne said he had ‘sacrificed my position in government’ to campaign for Remain, he made no mention of the lucrative jobs he has since taken up.
He declared that the Government had chosen ‘not to make the economy the priority in this negotiation – they have prioritised immigration control’.
Mr Osborne predicted there would be ‘lively debate’ in Parliament in the coming years on issues such as immigration, state aid and agricultural policy.