London:
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he supported proposals to ban British lawmakers from acting as paid political advisers and advisers, after a dire crisis hit the government. his government.
In a letter to the speaker of parliament, Johnson said he supported the proposals made in the 2018 report of an oversight committee on standards banning MPs from consulting work and external advisor.
The British leader added that he was also in favor of updating the code of conduct for lawmakers to ensure any outside work is carried out “within reasonable limits and does not prevent them from fully performing”. its duties”.
The move comes after his ruling Conservative party has faced a series of high-profile accusations in recent weeks, mostly centered on a number of lawmakers with lucrative second jobs.
The crisis erupted after Johnson tried – and failed – to overhaul the way the parliamentary watchdog system worked after Tory MP Owen Paterson faced the suspension of ministers. Lobbying for two companies with him on the payroll.
It soon emerged that many other congressmen had well-paying second jobs, notably Geoffrey Cox, a senior attorney and former attorney general.
He has been accused of using his parliamentary office for outside legal work, which has brought him more than £6 million ($8 million, €7 million) since becoming an MP. in 2005, higher than the MP’s annual salary – currently around £82,000.
Cox denies breaking the rules.
‘Corruption and despicable’
UK MPs are allowed to hold second jobs, as long as they claim to be, but are not allowed to use their parliamentary office or resources for that job.
Paid lobbying is also prohibited, with allegations of misconduct already being investigated by congressional standards watchdogs.
A spokesman for Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that the British leader had now acted “based on the issues that have recently occurred”.
“We are obliged to cast any doubt on the credibility of the House of Commons and that is why the Prime Minister has written to the Speaker to give his views,” he said.
However, the spokesman added Johnson was not in favor of banning lawmakers from all second jobs.
“(He) still believes they can play some role in helping inform MPs decisions within the necessary boundaries and rules,” he said.
“But the Prime Minister agreed that there could be cases where outside interests could lead to undue influence in the political system and that is something we are looking to address.”
The main opposition Labor Party will put forward a vote on Wednesday to ban MPs from becoming paid directors as well as parliamentary strategists, advisers or consultants.
“This should not be a controversial statement,” leader Keir Starmer said Tuesday, as he continued to attack Johnson on the issue.
“What the prime minister and government have done in the last two weeks is corrupt and despicable,” he added.
“It’s not a one-time thing. It’s a pattern of behavior.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
