Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid email address
SIGN UP
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Thanks for signing up to the
View from Westminster email
{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
Top Tory Sir Brandon Lewis is trousering ￡150,000 from five extra jobs - on top of his ￡86,000 MP salary.
The former justice secretary has taken on a string of lucrative jobs outside parliament, almost tripling his yearly pay.
The jobs, revealed by The Daily Mirror, include ￡60,000-a-year roles with property developer Thakeham Homes and infrastructure firm FM Conway, as well as a ￡30,000-a-year post as a consultant for Civitas Investment Management.
Labour chair Anneliese Dodds told the paper: “MPs are elected to represent our constituents and serve the country - but increasing numbers of Tory MPs are simply checking out and stacking up private sector roles.
“Brandon Lewis has brazenly sought to line his pockets only months after leaving government, in yet another example of the Tories giving up on governing." She told Mr Sunak to "get a grip on his moonlighting MPs.”
Recommended Boris Johnson making ￡21,000 an hour as second jobs earnings revealed Lee Anderson launches GB News show by spoon-feeding fellow MP baked beans Payoffs for MPs who lose seats or resign at general election set to double
And backbencher Karl Turner told The Independent being an MP is already a “very well-paid, full-time job”
“But it clearly is not enough for greedy six job Lewis,” he added.
Mr Turner said: “If he cannot afford to pay for his lifestyle on eighty-six grand a year he should call it a day, stand aside and let the people of Great Yarmouth find an MP that is prepared to work for them and not themselves.”
He said MPs’ second jobs are “utterly contemptible to the British public” and should be banned.
Labour has said it wants to ban second jobs with only “limited exemptions”, and Mr Turner said they should be banned completely.
As well as the paid posts, Sir Brandon became director of a group of private schools more than 100 miles from his Great Yarmouth constituency, but waived payment.
And he became a patron of the free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute.
Recommended MPs make ￡17.1m from outside jobs since 2019 – with Tory MPs earning ￡15.4m Labour must abolish ‘indefensible’ House of Lords, says Gordon Brown Starmer vows to ‘unbind’ Britain from centre that has ‘not delivered’
Labour analysis showed Sir Brandon’s 28 hours of work outside parliament each month netted him an hourly rate of ￡625.
Analysis earlier this year showed MPs had earned ￡17.1m from work outside parliament since the 2019 election, with the vast majority made by Conservative MPs.
Boris Johnson has raked in an astonishing ￡21,000 an hour for work on the speaking circuit and other lucrative gigs since quitting as prime minister.
In less than a year after being forced out of Downing Street, Mr Johnson made almost ￡5m.
His successor Liz Truss also went on to take huge payments for speaking gigs, despite being Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister.
More about Boris Johnson tory Liz Truss Labour
Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
1/ 1Tory MP rakes in ￡150,000 from extra jobs – double his MP salary
Tory MP rakes in ￡150,000 from extra jobs – double his MP salary
Sir Brandon Lewis is trousering ￡150,000 from five extra jobs - on top of his ￡86,000 MP salary
PA Wire
？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
Already subscribed? Log in