‘Three jobs’ SNP chief refuses to give up lucrative £50k sidelines
THE SNP’s Westminster leader was yesterday urged to quit a series of extra jobs which earn him around £50,000 a year.
Ian Blackford has defiantly insisted he will not give up his lucrative extra-parliamentary interests, despite increasing pressure from opposition politicians.
Mr Blackford earns £75,000 for his role as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, and makes an additional £48,000 a year from two other jobs.
Yesterday he told The Herald newspaper the posts outwith politics helped ‘shape’ his ability to ‘deliver as an MP’ – and claimed they were not a distraction, despite his recent elevation to SNP leader at Westminster.
The row comes two years after a senior SNP politician told the Commons that being an MP is a ‘full-time job’.
Scottish Labour MP Martin Whitfield has written to Mr Blackford demanding that he resigns from the two jobs.
In the letter, Mr Whitfield said: ‘I am baffled as to how you think you can possibly keep on business interests – worth £50,000 a year – and continue to do your
‘Staggering hypocrisy’
job to the fullest of your ability. This is even more the case now you have taken on the role of leader of the SNP Westminster group. In this role, you have the responsibility of representing not just your constituents but your party, as well as holding this callous Tory Government to account.
‘As many of your colleagues have said on the record, I do not believe you can fully dedicate yourself to that important role while also serving other interests. I would therefore urge you to immediately drop your outside business interests.’
Mr Blackford defended his £36,000-a-year job at Golden Charter Trust and his £12,000-ayear position as chairman of telecoms firm CommsWorld. He told a newspaper: ‘I have been a hard-working MP and I will continue to be so. There is a benefit from MPs having experience of life.
‘The fact that I have had interests in business are something which have helped shape my ability to make sure I can deliver as an MP... these are not a distraction, these are matters that take up very little of my time.
‘My priority is, firstly, to represent my constituency and, secondly, to represent the SNP here in Westminster as group leader and I work extremely hard to ensure that I deliver on both of those priorities.’
Scottish Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: ‘This is staggering hypocrisy from the SNP. It has repeatedly attacked parliamentarians over pursuing other interests. This shows that in the eyes of the Nationalists, it is one rule for them and another for everyone else.’
During a Commons debate in February 2015, Nationalist MP Pete Wishart declared being an MP is a ‘full-time job’, adding: ‘No SNP member has a second job, a directorship or a place on a company. Our responsibilities here are our sole concern and our only responsibility.’
New ‘standing orders’ for the SNP group state members will ‘treat the position as a full-time commitment with an attendance and work rate commensurate with that status’.
An SNP spokesman said: ‘Ian Blackford has been upfront about his interests and is committed to his role as an MP. Commons figures prove he was one of the most active Scottish MPs in Westminster last term.’