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| Second jobs: Voters decide if MPs have right priorities, says Dominic Raab | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the electorate should make any judgements on MPs with second jobs | |
| It is up to voters to decide whether MPs with second jobs have "the right priorities", Dominic Raab has said. | It is up to voters to decide whether MPs with second jobs have "the right priorities", Dominic Raab has said. |
| The work MPs do outside Westminster is under the spotlight, after ex-Tory MP Owen Paterson broke lobbying rules when working as a consultant. | The work MPs do outside Westminster is under the spotlight, after ex-Tory MP Owen Paterson broke lobbying rules when working as a consultant. |
| Now MP Geoffrey Cox is facing questions about his work for a legal firm advising the British Virgin Islands. | Now MP Geoffrey Cox is facing questions about his work for a legal firm advising the British Virgin Islands. |
| Labour's Anneliese Dodds has written to the prime minister, asking about the Conservative MP's second job. | Labour's Anneliese Dodds has written to the prime minister, asking about the Conservative MP's second job. |
| The former Attorney General has earned hundreds of thousands of pounds working with an international law firm, where he was sent to advise the BVI over an inquiry into government corruption. | The former Attorney General has earned hundreds of thousands of pounds working with an international law firm, where he was sent to advise the BVI over an inquiry into government corruption. |
| Which MPs have second jobs? | Which MPs have second jobs? |
| Paterson row shows PM can't act with total impunity | Paterson row shows PM can't act with total impunity |
| Minister expresses regret over Paterson vote | Minister expresses regret over Paterson vote |
| The Daily Mail revealed the role saw him travel to the British Overseas Territory in April to work on the investigation - which was launched by the UK Foreign Office, and the then-Foreign Secretary, Mr Raab, in January. | The Daily Mail revealed the role saw him travel to the British Overseas Territory in April to work on the investigation - which was launched by the UK Foreign Office, and the then-Foreign Secretary, Mr Raab, in January. |
| Sir Geoffrey was there for a number of weeks, meaning he was carrying out his work as an MP - including voting - from the Caribbean. | Sir Geoffrey was there for a number of weeks, meaning he was carrying out his work as an MP - including voting - from the Caribbean. |
| He has declared the number of hours and the amount he has been paid to Parliament, meaning he did not break any rules. | He has declared the number of hours and the amount he has been paid to Parliament, meaning he did not break any rules. |
| Sir Geoffrey has not commented on the reports, but broadcasters at his constituency home have been told he is abroad. | |
| Now Labour Party chair Ms Dodds has demanded the prime minister decides if the former minister is a "Caribbean-based barrister or a Conservative MP", calling it a "question of leadership" for Mr Johnson. | Now Labour Party chair Ms Dodds has demanded the prime minister decides if the former minister is a "Caribbean-based barrister or a Conservative MP", calling it a "question of leadership" for Mr Johnson. |
| From the start of 2021 until 7 September, all of Sir Geoffrey's votes in Parliament were carried out by a proxy - although many MPs were voting by proxy during this period because of the pandemic. | |
| He spoke in a debate in the House on 13 September, but since then he has missed over 30 divisions - where MPs vote - and only voted in one. | |
| Tuesday morning's headlines will not have been warmly received in Downing Street. | |
| What started as a story over one MP - Owen Paterson - morphed into one about the government's approach to standards. | |
| Now, the balance of MPs work in Parliament is being questioned. | |
| There is no suggestion that Geoffrey Cox has broken any rules. Indeed, many MPs have second jobs. | |
| But the extent to which he has focussed on his legal work - and the fact he appears to have spent a number of weeks in the Caribbean - leaves question marks over whether he has got the balance right. | |
| Asked about Sir Geoffrey's jobs, Mr Raab - who is now both deputy prime minister and justice secretary - said it was "perfectly reasonable" to ask questions about whether that amount of work is acceptable on top of being an MP. | Asked about Sir Geoffrey's jobs, Mr Raab - who is now both deputy prime minister and justice secretary - said it was "perfectly reasonable" to ask questions about whether that amount of work is acceptable on top of being an MP. |
| But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Ultimately, it is for voters of any MP, myself included, to decide whether the people representing them have got the right priorities. | But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Ultimately, it is for voters of any MP, myself included, to decide whether the people representing them have got the right priorities. |
| "I don't think it's for me to start making or prejudicing or second guessing the judgements that they make." | "I don't think it's for me to start making or prejudicing or second guessing the judgements that they make." |
| When asked about his colleague on Times Radio, Mr Raab also said it was "legitimate" for the British Virgin Islands to hire Sir Geoffrey, "as long as it's properly declared". | When asked about his colleague on Times Radio, Mr Raab also said it was "legitimate" for the British Virgin Islands to hire Sir Geoffrey, "as long as it's properly declared". |
| He added: "And of course, it's quite important that Parliament which is responsible residually for some areas of our relationship with the Overseas Territories has got some knowledge of what's going on in those territories." | He added: "And of course, it's quite important that Parliament which is responsible residually for some areas of our relationship with the Overseas Territories has got some knowledge of what's going on in those territories." |
| But, the Liberal Democrats said the public would be "gobsmacked" by the reports into Sir Geoffrey, with one of its MPs, Wendy Chamberlain, calling it "frankly astonishing" that Mr Raab could defend his Tory colleague. | |
| 'Cox is excellent with constituents' | |
| Geoffrey Cox represents the seat of Torridge and West Devon as an MP | |
| Dominic Raab says it is up voters to decide if they want to stick with an MP working a second job. | |
| And Geoffrey Cox's local party seem confident that decision would fall in his favour. | |
| A county councillor in his Devon constituency, Debo Sellis, said the work he did locally was "phenomenal" and he was "passionate about the community". | |
| Ward councillor Peter Crozier also had no doubt he would win any upcoming vote, saying the MP was "excellent with his constituents". | |
| Mr Crozier added: "He is visible for those in need of help and is probably one of the best MPs with his constituents, and that's probably why he increases his majority every time." | |
| But a local councillor outside of the Tory Party, independent Steve Hipsey, had his own issues with Sir Geoffrey over the amount of time he spent in Westminster, rather than locally. | |
| "If I have any beef with him at all it is about the time he spends in Parliament representing his constituents," he told PA. | |
| "As a local councillor I am very concerned that we seem to be getting so little value for money out of him in Whitehall." | |
| On Monday, the Commons held an emergency debate on standards, with Minister Stephen Barclay expressing his "regret" over the "mistake" the government made with the vote on Owen Paterson's conduct. | On Monday, the Commons held an emergency debate on standards, with Minister Stephen Barclay expressing his "regret" over the "mistake" the government made with the vote on Owen Paterson's conduct. |
| Boris Johnson has faced criticism over the row, which saw No 10 try to overhaul standards rules and block Mr Paterson's suspension, before a U-turn. | Boris Johnson has faced criticism over the row, which saw No 10 try to overhaul standards rules and block Mr Paterson's suspension, before a U-turn. |