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Tag Archives: second jobs

Should MPs have second jobs?

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 31st January 2016 - 12:22 pm

There’s been a bit of a stooshie this week about SNP MP Philippa Whitford earning a small fortune working as a locum consultant for the NHS. From the Irvine Times (so I don’t have to link to the Daily Fail):

It’s been revealed that Philippa Whitford MP worked seven times for the cash-strapped hospital over the Christmas period.

The SNP’s Westminister health spokesperson earned £57.60 an hour on August 20-21, the equivalent of £490 a day, as well as working on September 25 during conference season.

But Dr Whitford says it is “absolutely ludicrous” to make an issue of her work saying it had no effect on her parliamentary duties.

This, for me, is an example of bashing political opponents for the sake of it. If MPs want to do other work outside Parliament, that’s up to them and their constituents. In some cases, it’s particularly important that they do, if they have professional skills to maintain. If they are working in public services, they will also have an insight into what is going on in these services and the pressures that people are under.

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged MPs | 15 Comments

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