One Job or Two?

jambutty

jambutty

Apprentice Geriatric
Tackler
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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 ?
 
katex said:
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 ?
Click to expand...
I think he was a teacher
 
katex said:
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 ?
Click to expand...

Greg was employed as an Education Welfare officer working for LCC in the Hyndburn Area
 
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 bugger all else it makes you wonder where the priorities lie?
 
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/new...avid-Davis-sees-police-accused-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!
 
Neil said:
He did of course speak the truth.
Click to expand...

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.
 
garinda said:
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.
Click to expand...
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
 
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.
 
jambutty said:
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.

.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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