The government says a cap would be 'impractical'

The government has ditched its promise to cap MPs’ earnings from second jobs, following sleaze scandals that had caused widespread backlash and anger.

According to the Guardian, ministers told the Commons standards committee that a time limit or ceiling on such earnings would be “impractical”.

Following the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal, which the saw the MP quit in disgrace and revelations that Geoffrey Cox pocketed nearly £6m as a lawyer since joining parliament, while at the same time voting in the Commons from a Caribbean tax haven where was working a second job, the government had pledged to crack down on second jobs taken by MPs. Johnson rushed out plans to ban consultancy work.

Dominic Raab added that government proposals could restrict second jobs within reasonable limits. He had told BBC’s Radio 4’s Today Programme at the time: “You could do it in one of two ways.

“You could do it by the amount earned. Or you could do it by the number of hours. We’ve asked the committee on standards to work up with the detail by January.”

However, it has now emerged that the government has rejected both of those proposals.

The Guardian reports that Steve Barclay, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, and Mark Spencer, the leader of the House of Commons, said: “It is the government’s initial view that the imposition of fixed constraints such as time limits on the amount of time that Members can spend on outside work would be impractical.”

They also rejected the idea of a cap on earnings, claiming that any such cap ‘could serve to prohibit activities which do not bring undue influence to bear on the political system’.

News of the government’s plans has been met with criticism, with one social media user writing: “Is it too cynical to wonder if ministers have quietly dropped plans to cap MPs’ outside earnings because everyone’s attention is elsewhere.”

Jo Maugham, Director of the Good Law Project, said: “Do you remember when Boris Johnson tried and failed to get Owen Paterson off the hook? And then the media released the political pressure on him over Tory sleaze by reporting the Government planned to curb second jobs?

“The Government has now quietly ditched those plans. It’s become part of the natural rhythm of our politics. Government gets itself into trouble, it makes a bull**** announcement that it will ‘fix’ the problem, the ‘media’ misreports the announcement, political pressure evaporates. Then, later, Government ditches the announcement.”

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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