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Labour calls on Boris Johnson to investigate Geoffrey Cox's second job | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Geoffrey Cox represents the seat of Torridge and West Devon as an MP | |
Labour has called on the PM to launch an investigation into one of his Tory MPs, who earned almost £900,000 through jobs outside Parliament. | |
Sir Geoffrey Cox racked up the wage bill as a lawyer, including travelling to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to advise on a corruption inquiry. | |
Labour chair Anneliese Dodds said he "took advantage" of Covid restrictions to work remotely from the Caribbean. | |
No 10 said an MP's primary job "must be to serve their constituents". | |
Politicians are allowed to have second jobs outside Westminster, but the work they do has come under the spotlight since ex-Tory MP Owen Paterson broke lobbying rules when working as a consultant. | |
Mr Johnson came under fire from all sides after trying to overhaul standards rules and block the suspension of his colleague, only to perform a U-turn less than 24 hours later. | |
The PM then faced further criticism for refusing to apologise for the scandal and failing to turn up to an emergency debate on the issue in the Commons. | |
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 |
Now Sir Geoffrey is facing questions after declaring on the Register of Members Interests - where MPs publish details of any additional work - he has made nearly £900,000 over the course of the year working as a lawyer. | |
The Daily Mail revealed one of his contracts saw him travel to the British Virgin Islands in April to work on a corruption investigation into the government of the Overseas Territory, which was launched by the UK Foreign Office in January. | |
The former Attorney General, who represents Torridge and West Devon in Parliament, was there for a number of weeks, meaning he was carrying out his work as an MP - including voting - from the Caribbean. | |
There's no suggestion he has broken any rules. | |
In a letter to the PM, Ms Dodds wrote: "It seems Sir Geoffrey took advantage of Covid-related parliamentary rules and flew out to the BVI to vote by proxy from the other side of the Atlantic. | |
"The irony is not lost on me that he arrived in the Caribbean on the day that those MPs who actually feel a sense of duty to their constituents were debating global anti-corruption standards. | |
"The people of Torridge and West Devon must be wondering if Geoffrey Cox is a Caribbean-based barrister or a Conservative MP." | |
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said all MPs should be "visible in their constituencies and available to help constituents with their constituency matters". | |
He added: "If they're not doing that, they're not doing their job and will rightly be judged on that by their constituents." | |
Sir Geoffrey has not commented on the reports, but broadcasters at his constituency home have been told he is abroad. | Sir Geoffrey has not commented on the reports, but broadcasters at his constituency home have been told he is abroad. |
Tuesday morning's headlines will not have been warmly received in Downing Street. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
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. | |
When it comes to remuneration, according to the Register of Members' Interests - where MPs have to declare other earnings outside Parliament - Sir Geoffrey was paid £156,916.08 before VAT for 140 hours work over the period he is understood to have been in the British Virgin Islands for Withers LLP. | |
He also earned over £280,000 with the same firm for almost 300 hours of work between January and July this year. | |
Sir Geoffrey also declared on the register that from 1 November he will receive £400,000 plus VAT annually from Withers LLP for up to 41 hours of work a month. | |
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab defended his fellow Tory, telling Times Radio, it was "legitimate" for the British Virgin Islands to hire Sir Geoffrey, "as long as it's properly declared". | |
But he also said it was up to voters to judge if MPs had the "right priorities" alongside any additional work they did. | |
But, the Liberal Democrats said the public would be "gobsmacked" by the reports into Sir Geoffrey. | |
And one of its MPs, Wendy Chamberlain, calling it "frankly astonishing" that Mr Raab could defend his Tory colleague. | |
'Cox is excellent with constituents' | 'Cox is excellent with constituents' |
Dominic Raab says it is up voters to decide if they want to stick with an MP working a second job. | 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. | 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". | 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". | 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." | 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. | 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. | "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." | "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, MPs held a three-hour emergency debate on standards, with Cabinet Office Minister Stephen Barclay expressing his "regret" over the "mistake" the government made with the vote on Owen Paterson's conduct. | |
The plan began as an amendment from allies of Mr Paterson hoping to block a recommended 30-day suspension for the MP, who had been found to have made an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules when acting as a consultant for two firms - something he denies. | |
But it later got the backing of Downing Street and saw Conservative Party whips pressure their MPs to support it. | |
Less than 24 hours later, the government ditched its plans after a furious backlash and Mr Paterson later resigned as an MP. | |
Mr Johnson did not attend the debate, saying he had a "long-standing commitment" to visit a hospital in the north-east of England. | |
But the leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, accused the PM of "running scared". |