One Job or Two?
 

Earlier this evening Chris Evans was interviewing Mark Lancaster Conservative MP for North East Milton Keynes, who is the Shadow Minister for International Development, where it was revealed that Mark Lancaster was also a major in the TA. He also worked in the family fireworks business, although this activity is registered as shareholdings in Kimbolton Fireworks Ltd and Fizz Fireworks Ltd (not trading). He is also the unpaid parliamentary advisor to the Royal Society of Chemistry.

My question is simple enough.

Should an MP have additional jobs paid or unpaid?

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I don't see why not Jambutty .. as long as his job as MP takes priority over other paid activities, and declares his interest.

He was also a Bomb Disposal expert which fits in very well with the Fireworks company .. :D Had also been over to Afghanistan and Bosnia during the Summer break in his capacity with the TA.

Not just women that can multi-task obviously.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Much obliged for supplying the additional information. I was hoping that someone would because I didn’t want to hog the thread. I believe that you should always leave something out that a response can refer to.

However, I’m thinking of “conflicts of interest”. There have been many calls to have fireworks banned because of the way they are misused. So should it ever come to pass that Parliament is discussing the banning of the manufacture, importing and sale of fireworks it would put Mark Lancaster in an awkward position.

However there is a much more serious point. Can anyone serve more than one master? Don’t forget that we, the electorate, ‘employ’ our MP to represent us in Parliament.

If an MP can find the time to do another paid job it really means that s/he is underemployed as an MP. This implies that an MP could serve a larger constituency without being overworked and that means fewer MP’s.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I think that there are some people who have a larger capacity for work than others ... and as long as there is no conflict of interest, it should be ok.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Expect that there are lots of differently situated MP's .. the ones that were waiters (like Prescott), and the ones that had business interests and could leave these to his/her employees .. just overseeing.

Would be interesting to see a list of what they all did before becoming MP's, and if they put their job aside (as a low paid worker would have done), or carried on in a smaller capacity. Or are still carrying on as normal.

What did Greg Pope do by the way ?

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I think he was a teacher

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I thought he made pancakes for a living... is that not right? Or is there another reason for his nickname?

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Go on seeing as I am stupid I will ask - What is his nick name?

Re: One Job or Two?
 

My guess would be "Flipper":D .... however, I don't know anything about the guy.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I guess its Gregg the baker
juvenile humour:rolleyes:

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Greg was employed as an Education Welfare officer working for LCC in the Hyndburn Area

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Trying my best not to be flippant...We heard much about 'Time and Motion Studies'
in the past and that resulted in many people losing their jobs as surplus to requirements.
I wonder if someone with a clipboard followed MPs would they be judged as value for money?
I am all for experience in Government especially experts in their field, after all the Government spend millions on advisers or specialist's.
This MP is a very well educated man with qualifications. If he has the capability of running between jobs then so be it.
When you Look at the likes of Dennis Skinner who sits in Parliament every sitting trying to be funny and doing ****** all else it makes you wonder where the priorities lie?

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Slightly off thread, so apologies, but this week's new story about the two M.P.s named David Davis, and them being mixed up, tickled me.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...of-racism.html

The National Black Police Association were expecting Andrewb's mate, liberal softy David Davis, when they in fact got David Davis, M.P. for Monmouth, who addressed the conference and accused them of being racist, and had to be escorted from the building!

Re: One Job or Two?
 

He did of course speak the truth.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

He did, and they are.

Someone from the association was on the radio yesterday, saying they weren' racist at all, as white officers can become 'part' members, just not full members, like their black, asian, or Middle Eastern, fellow officers.

Utter bunkum.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Ya Rindi but as the white majority in this country we are always wrong when it comes to issues of racism, its been said before that if some one had to start a white police officers association they'd get a boot up the proverbial.

On the issue of more than one Job for MPs, can't see the problem, after all being a paid politician ain't the safest career in the world, as your only as goo as your last election

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Without pyrotechnicians life would be pretty rubbish, and I don't think there are lots of them at our disposal so I think it's good that someone is willing to work several jobs that are so very important.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Even with the controversy over fireworks, at least he has not made any secret of this interest, so would just have to cross that bridge if it ever gets to the banning stage, which I don't think it will myself ... after all still need them for the Olympics .. :D So safe until after 2012. Sure they have M.P.'s holding shares in lots of companies that manufacture goods that are controversial, etc.

Can only speak for one M.P., who was also Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, that I sorta' worked alongside. He handed over the running of his business to his son, and only was there as a sort of figure head and adviser ... definitely his first calling was his Parliamentary work. Did get a slap on the wrist once though for not declaring this interest, but was exonerated. They don't miss much. Mind you, he had an exceptionally hard working secretary who did most of the 'ground work' and day to day correspondence, which is very important to a busy M.P.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Having several jobs INSIDE government and holding shares in companies is not the issue. Most MP’s are on some government committee or other and an MP is perfectly entitled to hold shares in businesses. Declared, of course.

Having another job outside of government is the issue.

An MP is paid, and paid very well plus expenses and second homes, to represent his/her constituency and as such I would expect my MP to devote the full daily working hours to that job.

I wonder how people would feel if their GP, also paid very well, had another job outside of medicine?

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Understand what you are saying Jambutty, one of your queries was conflict of interests though.

In the case of Mark Lancaster, he is only 38 years old, and probably more than capable of handling other activities. (Not that is always an age thing mind you, lots of over 50's capable of producing lots of energy).

Like I said earlier, would be interesting to see how many M.P's do engage in another career quite heavily. Don't suppose any sort of list like this is available though, without going into each one individually .. unless MargaretR can google us one ... :D At the end of the day, presume doesn't really matter if they do their duty to the electorate, who would no doubt pick up if their local M.P. was not pulling his/her weight. Suppose would have to be something like not being able to attend an important Common's meeting, etc., due to prior business commitments.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

As an afterthought, would presume future M.P.'s go through quite stringent vetting by their party before being put forward for election, and sure this type of question would arise about other interests.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I was just using Mark Lancaster as an example but my query applies to all MP’s.

In http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/mps.cfm amongst other things it states:
“MPs split their time between working in Parliament itself, working in the constituency that elected them, and working for their political party. Some MPs from the ruling party become government ministers with specific responsibilities in certain areas, such as Health or Defence.”

You can find out MP’s interests here - http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

For example my MP Janet Anderson http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/janet_anderson/rossendale_and_darwen
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/jack_straw/blackburn
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/greg_pope/hyndburn
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/kitty_ussher/burnley

If you had a full time job and also a part time job elsewhere, as many people do because they have to, to make ends meet, and the part time job interfered with your attendance and work at your full time job, your full time employer would soon let you know and you would be given an alternative. Full or part!

We the electorate are to all intents and purposes the employer of an MP.

I’m sure that a prospective candidate is vetted before being put forward but a lot can change in up to 5 years.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

That web site is very interesting JB, in fact to quote Brucie "Its My Favourite":D

Re: One Job or Two?
 

If a student can be on a full time course like mine which is 40hrs a week, and still work another 16hrs part time, then I think an MP who is experienced in his line of work can cope with a few extra duties tied into his schedule.

I worked for a barrister in the summer who had to work a full time job whilst at uni on flexible hours just so he could pay his living expenses and he left uni with a first class degree.

Sadly, people need to often work more than one job to survive in this world. 8% of the working population in the EU are still under the poverty line. That is a vast amount of people, working full time jobs and still not having enough to survive. Can you blame people for taking more than one job? Yes he may be an MP and paid quite richly, but humans naturally want the best quality of life they can get, so should we alienate someone just because they want to work presumably damn hard for that standard of living?

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Once again you've missed the point, can't really see an MP being on the bread line, to my way of thinking anybody, from any party knows what money they will be paid and if they think that the money they earn cannot keep them in the style they have become accustom to, then don't get into politics. Having said that there are no rules saying you can't have jobs outside the Commons and so long a they fulfill their parliamentary duties what the hell, although Call Me Dave has said he wants the Tories to have just their job in Westminster, we'll have to wait and see if it happens

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I believe that the police are barred from having an additional outside job.

So if the upholders of the law cannot have an extra job then surely the makers of the laws (the MP’s) should also be barred from doing so.

I seem to remember many years ago a fireman was forced to give up his ‘extra’ job or quit the fire service.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

I think having a 2nd job may actually help an MP to understand the Real World. For instance the MP who is also in the TA probably comes into contact with people from all walks of life that he would no meet in his roll as MP.
However, an MP should not have to have 2 jobs as this would discriminate against women who already have a 2nd job - at home. Mp's need a reasonable wage and if they choose to supplement that elsewhere, as long as it does not interfere with their MP duties, good luck to them.

What worries me more is MP's who do not live (family as well ) in their constituency. As once weekly visit to do their duty at constituency meeting and football matches does not fully ensure that the MP knows and understand his constituents.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

As far as I know firemen are still allowed to have second jobs. I certainly know two that have second jobs.

A quick search seems to back this up.

'Even some of the day shift can often be spent reading, playing cards or even catching up on the paper work for their second jobs.'

http://www.igreens.org.uk/reforming_...re_service.htm

Perhaps one of our members, who's a firefighter could clarify the matter.

Re: One Job or Two?
 

Many years ago I worked with a fireman, he came into work with us when it was his days off from the fire service, and they knew all about it, although there maybe some places where a second job isn't permitted, I'm not sure but I think Greater Manchester Fire Service maybe one