Should being an MP disqualify you from taking paid second jobs?
MPs may currently hold paid second jobs provided they register earnings over £300 from any one source per year and do not offer paid parliamentary advice. Since July 2024 over 300 MPs have declared £10.2 million in outside earnings, with the highest earners including Rishi Sunak and Nigel Farage. A private member's bill introduced by Richard Burgon in July 2026 and a Westminster Hall debate seek to prohibit most paid outside work, while the government has committed to a ban outside very limited exceptions such as maintaining professional qualifications.
4 Opinions
Full transparency on second jobs, responsibilities and salary is essential
After becoming a MP all other professional activities should be suspended. We pay them 2.5 country average salary, so they can focus on the job. If they want to earn more - create situation that the average will be higher and we can link it to their earnings. If you want to earn more go to work with finance sector.
No, out of principle. MPs joule not be taking on jobs as CEOs, or as business directors. I would love to see working-class MPs, like doctors or manual labourers. I have more faith in them to pull through and do what is in the common interest than I do for the bourgeois puppets we have at present.
The only exception would be for jobs where they need to keep practicing to maintain their professional registration