(10 November 2021) I apologise to all my readers, a combination of technical issues and despair at the world have kept me away from the keyboard. However, there is so much to talk about my thoughts are near exploding.
So, today I pondered on MPs and other jobs.
Many MPs had a real life before being elected (I exclude the caterpillars whose entire working life is as advisor, lobbyist etc as they attempt to turn into butterflies on election).
Many MPs might not last very long so it is entirely reasonable if they want to keep in touch with their previous working life.
For example, a plumber might want to keep on a few long-term customers, a lawyer might have some ongoing cases and a medical person might want to keep up their skills (as well as doing something useful rather than sitting around). Their interest is known to the public and seems entirely reasonable.
However, Jacob Rees-Mogg for example, who was a highly paid director of a private equity firm (parasites for short), still continues to work for them but does not get paid. This is legal.
But one does wonder how it works.
At the end of the week when he pops his timesheet into the tray in HR do they simply put them in a drawer and wait until he ceases to be an MP?
Or does he not fill in a timesheet and simply work out of the goodness of his heart. I am sure this is the case.
The jobs that I fail to understand are those that they get just because they are MPs.
Companies are not stupid, given the sums they are paying one has to wonder (despite declarations of interest and all that) what they do discretely and behind the scenes to help their paymaster (“I deleted the old messages on my phone to free up space” though given the sums involved they could buy a new gold-plated phone every month).
Thus, I propose that MPs should not be allowed to take second jobs unless it relates to their profession. Rather than setting up a commission or body to do this any method would be open to criticism.
The simple method to make it fair would be as follows.
MPs fill out a form on the .gov website giving the reasons why they want to do the job, what they will earn and how it benefits their constituents and the population by doing it.
The public would then have a monthly vote on whether they should be allowed to take the job. Simple, transparent and reflecting the public’s view.
But they won’t listen.
One still has to hope so a picture reflecting this.
