MPs under scrutiny over their second jobs

MPs are coming under intense scrutiny over their second jobs.

This comes amid a row about former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox's legal work, and follows the finding that former Conservative MP Owen Paterson broke the rules by lobbying the government in return for money.

What are the rules?

MPs can have outside jobs, including as a consultant or adviser, but have to follow a code of conduct.

They are banned from getting paid for "advocating a particular matter" in Parliament, unless the MP is reporting a "serious wrong or substantial injustice".

MPs are also meant to declare "relevant" financial interests in companies when speaking in debates and carrying out other parliamentary activities.

MPs who are paid consultants or advisers cannot "initiate" lobbying of ministers or officials that could benefit their outside employer. They can "participate" in such approaches to ministers or officials, as long as they don't lead them.

You can read a full list of MPs with second jobs here. Many of them are facing questions about whether they have followed the rules - we have taken a look at some of the more high profile cases.

Sir Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Torridge and West Devon)

The former attorney general has worked as a barrister alongside his role as an MP since he left government in February 2020, earning almost £900,000 in the last year for just over 1,000 hours' work.

Sir Geoffrey recently hit the headlines when it was revealed he had provided legal advice to the British Virgin Islands in a corruption inquiry brought by the UK.

He was then found to have taken part in parliamentary votes while in the Caribbean. There was no suggestion of rule-breaking, and Sir Geoffrey has said the government's chief whip agreed in advance that such arrangements were "appropriate".

But Labour has called for an inquiry into a report in the Times that he conducted paid legal work from what appears to be his House of Commons office.

Under conduct rules, MPs are not allowed to use these premises for "personal or financial benefit". Sir Geoffrey has denied wrongdoing.

Most of his private work has been on behalf of global law firm Withers, which was working on the British Virgin Islands inquiry.

It has also emerged that Sir Geoffrey spoke at a webinar on Brexit hosted by Withers in November 2020.

He had been told by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, the watchdog dealing with jobs taken on by former ministers, not to offer "privileged insight" from his time in government, including on Brexit negotiations, to the law firm.

During his remarks, Sir Geoffrey talked in general terms about his experience preparing for Brexit in cabinet committees.

A spokesman for the law firm said he had never disclosed "any privileged information from his time in government" in any of his activities.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Chingford and Woodford Green)

The former Conservative Party leader has worked as a paid adviser to a hand sanitiser manufacturer at the same time as co-chairing a UK government taskforce that recommended reviewing the guidelines on hand sanitisers.

The firm, Byotrol Technology, says it provides more than 92% of all NHS alcohol-free hand sanitisers. It has paid Sir Iain £25,000 a year for 12 hours' work a month since January 2021, as reported by the Guardian.

Along with two other Tory MPs, Sir Iain co-chaired the advisory taskforce, set up by Boris Johnson to recommend how the UK could make the most from being outside EU regulations.

In a report in May, it recommended the government review current guidance on alcohol- and non-alcohol-based sanitiser, arguing it was currently "unclear" and potentially "unnecessarily limiting the range of sanitising products available".

It called on ministers to put the two different products on a "level playing field" - if independent testing shows non-alcohol based sanitiser to be "as effective" at killing the coronavirus on hands.

Alastair Demick, head of business development at Byotrol, welcomed the recommendation as "powerful" and a "positive move".

Sir Iain denies any wrongdoing or rule-breaking.

Steve Brine (Conservative, Winchester)

Labour is calling for an investigation into Mr Brine, who is a paid adviser to wholesaler Sigma Pharmaceuticals, which in April 2020 won a £100,000 government contract to supply lateral flow tests to pharmacies.

The contract was awarded without competition as it was not big enough to be put out to tender under official rules.

Mr Brine, a former health minister, as reported by the Independent, is paid nearly £20,000 a year by Sigma for up to eight hours' work a month as a "strategic adviser".

In February 2020, the MP invited the then vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi to take part in a webinar for community pharmacists with Sigma's executive director Hatul Shah and Simon Dukes, chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.

He introduced Mr Zahawi as a "really good friend" but did not promote Sigma's services during the 50-minute webinar session, or engage in anything that could be described as lobbying, but he did invite the company's co-founder Bharat Shah to ask Mr Zahawi some questions, along with pharmacy owners and the trade press.

"So, sponsor's privilege, Bharat, you get a couple of questions that you would like to ask the minister on behalf of the community," said Mr Brine.

Dr Bharat asked how many more pharmacies were going to be used as vaccination sites in the next phase of the roll-out. The minister replied that it was largely dependent on vaccine supplies.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner has written to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and the top civil servant at the department for health, Sir Chris Wormald, to investigate whether he has broken any rules.

Mr Brine has been contacted for a comment.

Alun Cairns (Conservative, Vale of Glamorgan)

The former Welsh Secretary is facing calls for an investigation into his conduct after a healthcare firm he works for secured a UK government contract a month after hiring him.

Jane Dodds, the only Liberal Democrat member of the Welsh Parliament, urged an inquiry after the Times reported that BBI Group was part of a consortium which won a major contract for lateral flow antibody tests in August 2020.

Mr Cairns has been a paid adviser to BBI Group since July 2020 - where he receives £15,000 a year for up to 70 hours' work.

There is no evidence he was involved in the awarding of the contract, or the process by which it was awarded.

Ms Dodds said that correspondence relating to the awarding of the contract should be published.

The consortium had already won one UK government contract before hiring Mr Cairns, in June 2020, to develop a Covid antibody test.

The BBC has asked Mr Cairns to comment. BBI Group declined to comment.

Laurence Robertson (Conservative, Tewkesbury)

Mr Robertson, who advises the Betting and Gaming Council for £24,000 a year, has spoken in Parliament in favour of the betting industry, the Times revealed.

The Tewkesbury MP works 10 hours a month for the Betting and Gaming Council, which lobbies on behalf of casino firms and bookmakers. He is described by the industry group as its "parliamentary adviser on sport and safer gambling".

During a debate in July, Mr Robertson warned the government against adopting "too stringent" rules for casinos, adding it would risk driving betters to the "black market".

He drew MPs' attention to his financial interest during the debate.

Mr Robertson says he has complied with the rules and denies any wrongdoing.

Sir Keir Starmer (Labour, Holborn and St Pancras)

The Labour leader, when he was shadow Brexit secretary in 2017, decided not to take on a second job with law firm Mishcon de Reya.

Allies of the then leader, Jeremy Corbyn, told the Guardian he had persuaded Sir Keir to do this, arguing it would interfere with his political work.

But a spokesperson for Sir Keir said this was not true and that he had come to the decision himself.

However, he has made more than £100,000 for legal work, writing and giving speeches since becoming an MP in 2015.

There is no suggestion Sir Keir has broken any rules, and he says all the work was carried out before he became Labour leader last year.