MPs could be banned from moonlighting as consultants under tough new rules being considered by parliament’s standards watchdog.
The committee, which rules on whether MPs have broken the code of conduct, is considering tightening restrictions on outside interests after Owen Paterson, the former Tory MP, was found to have committed an “egregious” breach of the rules on paid work undertaken outside parliament.
Having second jobs could also come under fire. A report by the committee on standards in public life found recently that 119 MPs had regular paid roles on top of their representative duties, about a fifth of the total number.
