The Labour government is closing another loophole that potentially allows MPs to corruptly profit from their jobs. Is this the last stop for the MPs’ gravy train?
Concern about MPs taking second (or more) jobs in order to pass on information to their employers that they would not have if they weren’t in Parliament – or using their place in Westminster to promote their other employers – has been high since the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal.
Labour leader Keir Starmer had pledged to ban MPs from taking nearly all outside jobs after Paterson was found to have broken lobbying rules on behalf of two companies employing him, in late 2021.
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MPs are already banned from advocating an employer’s interests in Parliament, from being paid to try to influence ministers – and from working as a parliamentary strategist or consultant, after the Paterson scandal.
From late October, they will also be banned from giving “advice on public policy and current affairs” and “advice in general terms about how Parliament works” to outside employers.
The aim is not only to prevent conflict of interest but also “conflict of attention”, as Commons Leader Lucy Powell described it, and to make sure MPs focus on serving their constituents.
MPs will not face a general ban on outside employment, and will still be able to be paid for media appearances, as well as for writing books and articles.
But this may not be the last change to what MPs are allowed to do, in this Parliament. Starmer wants to set up a new 14-member “modernisation committee” to recommend broader changes to how the Commons works.
The panel will have a broad remit to examine working practices and standards, similar to a committee set up by Tony Blair’s Labour government after its 1997 election win. Powell will chair it, and promised to consult all parties on proposals, but smaller parties have already complained that they would not be represented after Labour’s huge election win.
Is this at least the beginning of the end for MPs’ corruption? Or will the “modernisation committee” have a lot of work to do? What do you think?
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Is this the last stop for the MPs’ gravy train?
The Labour government is closing another loophole that potentially allows MPs to corruptly profit from their jobs. Is this the last stop for the MPs’ gravy train?
Concern about MPs taking second (or more) jobs in order to pass on information to their employers that they would not have if they weren’t in Parliament – or using their place in Westminster to promote their other employers – has been high since the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal.
Labour leader Keir Starmer had pledged to ban MPs from taking nearly all outside jobs after Paterson was found to have broken lobbying rules on behalf of two companies employing him, in late 2021.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
MPs are already banned from advocating an employer’s interests in Parliament, from being paid to try to influence ministers – and from working as a parliamentary strategist or consultant, after the Paterson scandal.
From late October, they will also be banned from giving “advice on public policy and current affairs” and “advice in general terms about how Parliament works” to outside employers.
The aim is not only to prevent conflict of interest but also “conflict of attention”, as Commons Leader Lucy Powell described it, and to make sure MPs focus on serving their constituents.
MPs will not face a general ban on outside employment, and will still be able to be paid for media appearances, as well as for writing books and articles.
But this may not be the last change to what MPs are allowed to do, in this Parliament. Starmer wants to set up a new 14-member “modernisation committee” to recommend broader changes to how the Commons works.
The panel will have a broad remit to examine working practices and standards, similar to a committee set up by Tony Blair’s Labour government after its 1997 election win. Powell will chair it, and promised to consult all parties on proposals, but smaller parties have already complained that they would not be represented after Labour’s huge election win.
Is this at least the beginning of the end for MPs’ corruption? Or will the “modernisation committee” have a lot of work to do? What do you think?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Join the uPopulus group at https://upopulus.com/groups/vox-political/
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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