MPS may face tougher rules on second jobs

Watchdog calls for a ban on consultancy work in wake of scandals exposed by

MPS should be banned from being employed “as parliamentary strategists, advisers or consultants”, a watchdog says today, in the wake of scandals exposed by The Daily Telegraph.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life called for a tightening of the MPS’ Code of Conduct, with any breach triggering an investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

The committee expressed concern MPS may develop privileged relationships with particular organisations, resulting in “undue influence” being brought to bear on Parliament.

The Telegraph has repeatedly exposed MPS who seek to be paid by outside interests while they are still sitting in the Commons.

In 2015, The Telegraph and Channel 4 disclosed how then-mps Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind had offered to use their positions as politicians on behalf of a fictitious Chinese company in return for at least £5,000 a day.

In a 68-page report on MPS’ outside interests, published today, the committee concluded that “MPS should not undertake outside employment as parliamentary strategists, advisers or consultants”. Theresa May, the Prime Minister, has to respond to the report.

The committee originally launched its inquiry in March last year in the wake of the political storm which followed the appointment of former chancellor George Osborne as editor of the Evening Standard, along with a series of other lucrative appointments, while still an MP.

Lord Bew, the committee’s chairman, said: “Where a small number of individuals have taken up outside interests beyond what might be considered reasonable, it risks undermining trust in Parliament.”

The report found that one in three Conservative MPS – 99 out of 316 – have outside jobs ranging from consultants, to directors at companies and even an assistant referee.

Nine Tory MPS and a single Liberal Democrat MP were employed as consultants. There is no suggestion that any of these MPS have done anything wrong.

According to the most recent register for members’ interests, Sir Edward Davey, a Liberal Democrat MP and former Cabinet minister, is paid £5,000 a month to work for six hours a month as a “consultant on political issues and policy analysis” for legal firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

Bob Neill, Tory chairman of the House of Commons Justice committee, is director of two consultancies and is paid tens of thousands of pounds a year by two further strategic consultancies.

Tory MP Conor Burns is paid £40,000 a year for 10 hours a month as a consultant for an engineering firm.

The committee recommends a new rule “based on the principle that any outside roles MPS undertake, whether or not they are paid, should not prevent MPS from fully undertaking the range of duties expected of them in their primary role as an MP.

“Any breach of this principle should trigger an investigation by the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. Dependent on the findings of that investigation, sanctions should be recommended by the Commons Committee on Standards.”