Time to curb outside earnings in Parliament?
sunderkatwala Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 08:16:55 AM GMT 
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Ministers are discussing proposals to curb outside earnings in Parliament. 66 per cent of Tory MPs, 37 per cent of Liberal Democrats and 19 per cent of Labour MPs have other jobs, reports The Independent.
The report says that three proposals are being considered in a confidential paper by Helen Goodman, deputy leader of the house.
(i) a total ban on outside earnings
(ii) a US-style earnings limit of 15 per cent on top of an MP's salary
(iii) a ban on paid directorships and some other jobs but some exemptions, such as from journalism.
Ex-Minister (and Brown leadership campaign coordinator) Chris Leslie writes in the new Fabian Review that:
“Our politicians need to set an example and act fairly at a time when ordinary people have such low expectations of the behaviour of elected representatives. This needs to go beyond salary restraint. MPs should serve their constituents first and foremost, regarding the taxpayer as their paymaster above all others.
If MPs have excessive outside earnings from consultancies and directorships, then people perceive that they are diverted from the public interest – or worse, that they are exploiting their public status.
Labour could be bold and propose a ban on outside earnings for MPs, or at the very least should emulate the American cap on external income at 15 per cent of a member's annual salary.
Such is the crisis of confidence in politics that only radical steps such as this can hope to impress a sceptical public"
Sadiq Khan, a government whip, is quoted in support, saying that the Conservative Party are getting away with "blue murder" by giving the impression that MPs were paid a generous salary and expenses, without saying many Tories had up to four outside jobs and regarded their parliamentary salary as a top-up.
(i) a total ban on outside earnings
(ii) a US-style earnings limit of 15 per cent on top of an MP's salary
(iii) a ban on paid directorships and some other jobs but some exemptions, such as from journalism.
Ex-Minister (and Brown leadership campaign coordinator) Chris Leslie writes in the new Fabian Review that:
“Our politicians need to set an example and act fairly at a time when ordinary people have such low expectations of the behaviour of elected representatives. This needs to go beyond salary restraint. MPs should serve their constituents first and foremost, regarding the taxpayer as their paymaster above all others.
If MPs have excessive outside earnings from consultancies and directorships, then people perceive that they are diverted from the public interest – or worse, that they are exploiting their public status.
Labour could be bold and propose a ban on outside earnings for MPs, or at the very least should emulate the American cap on external income at 15 per cent of a member's annual salary.
Such is the crisis of confidence in politics that only radical steps such as this can hope to impress a sceptical public"
Sadiq Khan, a government whip, is quoted in support, saying that the Conservative Party are getting away with "blue murder" by giving the impression that MPs were paid a generous salary and expenses, without saying many Tories had up to four outside jobs and regarded their parliamentary salary as a top-up.
Time to curb outside earnings in Parliament? | 31 comments (31 topical)
Time to curb outside earnings in Parliament? | 31 comments (31 topical)
