The latest transparency on MPs' 'outside interests', ie second jobs, again reveals that the honourable members are getting paid for doing absolutely nothing.
Jimmy Hood, labour MP for Lanark and Hamilton East, has listed in the MPs' register of financial interests how, for the last three months, he has been paid as a parliamentary consultant to Scottish Coal. However, when it comes to time worked for his monthly £625, Mr Hood lists for July, August and September 'hours worked nil'. His annual fee is £7500.
But, when it comes to being paid for nothing ex-environmental secretary John Gummer, apeears to take the rich chocolate biscuit. Last month it was reported how the Suffolk MP was paid £1,666.66 gross for a 20-minute board meeting, which he attended 'by phone'. However in the latest edition of the register he is reported as having received £3,562.50 gross, stating 'hours worked nil'.
The Kelly report is due out early in November, as is the Legg report, although the Legg report may not appear until the New Year owing to the widespread disgruntlement among honourable members miffed at Sir Thomas's decisions.
Once the Kelly report is out and possibly recommends MPs not employing spouses and says they should only rent second homes in London or even have to live in communal accommodation, then some old hacks may bail out ahead of the next election. This means that the next parliament will look unrecognisable with virtually no old faces.
Will that be good or bad for the mother of parliaments? Time will tell.
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14 comments:
subrosa,
Anyone who would force-feed his children with burgers is worth every penny.
Worth every penny to keep him away from anything to do with public health, certainly.
Hours worked nil? Ah want wan ae they joabs.
What amazes me scunnert is that they actually write that in the register. That's the level of intellect we have in Parliament.
I note that the Herald has headed up its article - Nice Work If You Can Get.
Taken from the George Gershwin classic, the first verse of which is particularly apt –
The man who only live for making money
Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny;
Likewise the man who works for fame --
There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name.
Ah another George Gershwin fan I see.
I do try not to 'pinch' titles John, although when time is short or I'm so furious I can't think, I can break my own rule.
SR,
Personally, I have no problems with MPs having a 'second' job, but the proviso is that they do their 'MPeeing' properly, which at present is not the case.
Were MP's to scrutinise all EU legislation properly, were MPs to hold the Government to account - something the Official Opposition are so inept at - were MPs to maintain that sense of honour and probity, were.... Oh hell I cannot be bothered to continue - hopefully you get my point.
Just saying, is all......
To my way way of thinking, a public servant, placed in a position of trust to serve the needs and concerns of those who put them there should not have other distractions or other special interests to serve by way way of second jobs..
But wait a minute. Jimmy Hood has apparently done nothing to earn his commercial interest retainer recently.
So the question arises; what are they paying him for?
What do they, the commercial organisation expect to gain out of their generousity towards Mr Hood?
Surely, that retainer is not being used to influence Westmidden decision making?
Ah mean to say, would that not be perceived as a conflict of interests?
Could that influence be construed as detrimental to Mr Hood's prime purpose of representing his electorate at Westmidden?
Surely we should be told?
Sorry, sr, off topic - but I'm so mad.
Postal workers are on strike because of government proposals to abduct their children and boil them alive. Plumper, tastier children will be eaten by the cabinet, while the more poorly nourished will be boiled right down for use as glue, pigment fixation in paints, and other industrial applications.
Postal workers who object to this policy will face charges of terrorism and the promotion of homosexuality and atheism. Where in the opinion of the Labour Party postal workers seem irrationally attached to their children, they will be jailed and have their names added to the sex offenders register.
Confronted with this policy, some postal workers have decided to withdraw their labour, in what used to be called a 'strike'.
The BBC has quite correctly spent all of its evening news explaining the awful consequences of this strike, the inconvenience to businesses, the possible penalties that might be encountered by people whose road tax application is lost, or school entrance application delayed. Their emphasis on the awfulness of these consequences is of course entirely proper and legitimate.
At no point in their extensive coverage of the strike did the BBC feel it necessary to explain the reasons for the dispute. So for all you know, it might be as I describe.
I have a problem with them having second jobs, and third ones and forth ones, etc.
Surely as WfW suggests, the work of parliament is not being properly done at the moment. Why are MPs able to take other work while the legislation goes through unscrutinised?
It's not that we only pay MPs the minimum wage for a job that requires no qualifications or experience at all. We don't even just pay them the average wage... nor twice the average wage, but around 3 times the average wage.
Clearly they see the job as part time. Equally clearly, as wisnaeme points out, commercial oganisations don't shell out money for nothing... so what's the deal?
They say they need other jobs to keep in touch with real life.... What? In boardroom with 20 minutes work over the phone for £3,000+ Please! Do they think that's what real life is?
If MPs want a second job, I'd say they should be able to apply to be hospital porters, or Tesco shelf fillers, or community wardens or.... care workers, I have no problem with that. They might find out what it is to live in the UK if they did anything like that.
Tris, I think the problem is that MPs don't have enough work to do. So much is now dictated from Brussels.
That's a good idea, they spend some of their time each year doing community service.
Speaking of which, wasn't it plastered over the media that Gordon Brown was going to do that in the summer. Nothing more was heard. Says it all.
Indeed I get your point loud and clear WfW. If they did their job even reading the EU legislation, we may not be in this hellish position right now.
Appreciate you 'just saying'. :)
My answers to your questions wisnaeme:
Influence
Influence
Yes it is
Yes it would be
Yes indeed
Yes of course we should be told but we won't be will we.
Wonder what other answers would be.
Vronsky I've been paying more attention to the Royal Mail problems since I posted about it and I'm now definitely on the side of the strikers.
Not that I agree with striking in the least but I know now what the problems are for these workers.
The really sad and frustrating thing is that no matter what they do the Royal Mail will be no longer in 5 years. The decision has been taken by government that it must be privatised and it will be, come hell of high water.
The workers will be blamed because they permitted their union to call strike action. I can hear politicians now ...
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