MPs should not do media work that ‘monetises’ their role, says government
The government has backed proposals to stop MPs taking second jobs they have been offered because of their role in parliament, and expressed concern that some paid media roles allow them to “monetise” their privileged positions.It set out its detailed thinking on how the rules could be tightened on MPs’ outside interests in evidence to the House of Commons standards committee.The policy statement said it supported asking MPs to sign up to certain principles, as suggested by the parliamentary standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg.In particular it favours a draft principle saying: “Members are expected not to accept offers of paid outside interests that are made, or that a reasonable observer might think are being made, primarily because of their membership of the house.”The government also said it had concerns about some instances in which MPs were paid by the media.
Its submission said: “We are concerned with specific cases in which members might hold paid contracts of employment with media organisations that give rise to conflicts of interest and attention, both in the sense that the house is responsible for the laws governing our media and that such members would be monetising their offices for private gain.Such a practice can harm the reputation of the house, further eroding public confidence in our institutions.”Analysis by the Guardian recently found six MPs had spent on average one working day a week on second jobs since the start of the 2024 parliament, with the Reform MPs Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson taking on lucrative jobs as presenters for GB News, as well as other work.The government’s official backing for Greenberg’s suggested principles comes after Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, asked the standards committee to look at MPs’ outside interests and gave evidence suggesting she would support such a system.Labour’s position on outside interests has significantly changed since Keir Starmer said in 2021 that he wanted to “ban all second jobs for MPs, with very limited exceptions”.
In its manifesto, Labour said it wanted to “take forward urgent work on the restrictions that need to be put in place to prevent MPs from taking up roles that stop them serving their constituents and the country”, including closing loopholes on lobbying.At one point, Boris Johnson’s Conservative government considered time limits on outside interests, but this was later dropped.In its submission, the government said it did not support setting limits on types of jobs or hours or creating a list of banned professions.It said: “Whilst these approaches may be easily understood and enforced, they could create unfairness in the system, and any list could never cover all eventualities.As such, the government does not believe this is the right approach to deal with the nuances of this matter.
”The Committee on Standards in Public Life, an advisory body on ethics, told the committee that it backed the idea of “reasonable limits”, with indicative limits on earnings and time, such as not taking on work that was the equivalent of more than one day a week,In other evidence, a string of Conservative MPs made arguments in favour of allowing outside interests,The shadow Treasury minister Richard Fuller made the case that it was “flawed” to suggest being a constituency MP was a full-time job,He wrote: “Around 100 MPs simultaneously serve as ministers, taking on full-time roles while maintaining their constituency responsibilities,Furthermore, much constituency work is effectively handled by staff.
”Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow housing and communities secretary, who is a shareholder in a lettings and estate agency firm, wrote to the committee: “It is unrealistic to expect business owners to divest themselves of their interests before even considering entering parliament.A prohibition on outside interests would prove a significant deterrent from other business people entering the world of politics.”However, some of those who provided evidence to the committee suggested the “principles-based” system backed by the government might not go far enough.Transparency International UK said: “Allowing MPs to take up second jobs outside the boundaries of simply maintaining their professional qualifications leaves them open to corruption risks such as favouritism and quid pro quo arrangements.As it stands, jobs such as consultancy roles or non-executive director roles are still permitted.
”Prof David Hine, a tutor in politics at the University of Oxford, flagged concerns that a principle-based system could create “scope for ambiguity and misunderstanding which could discredit any proposals intended to tighten restrictions”,
Boeing hopes to find new buyers for up to 50 planes returned by China
Boeing will try to divert as many as 50 planes ordered by Chinese airlines to customers elsewhere after steep tariffs prompted by Donald Trump’s trade war.The US manufacturer said it was confident it could find other buyers for the planes, but said it was lobbying Trump personally to resolve an “unfortunate situation”.Two Boeing jets have returned to the US from China, with another on the way, after the imposition of steep 125% tariffs on American imports. China imposed the levies in retaliation to the White House’s 145% rate that threatens to significantly slow down the world economy.Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s chief executive, said he hoped “over time these tariffs can be resolved”, in a call with investors on Wednesday
Rachel Reeves looks at ending zero tax regime for low-value imports
Rachel Reeves is to review the tax regime for imports of low-value goods in an effort to prevent Chinese companies undercutting British retailers by dumping cheap items on online marketplaces.The chancellor is considering changes to rules which allow goods valued at £135 or less – often listed on sites such as Amazon, Shein and Temu – to be imported to the UK without any customs duty having to be paid.The review follows pressure from leading retailers, including Sainsbury’s and Next, who have argued that the tax break has been hijacked by fast-growing retailers such as Shein and Temu who send small parcels direct to shoppers.Announcing the review in Washington on Wednesday, Reeves said: “I think that retailers can see, through the actions we’ve taken today around low-value imports, that we are absolutely standing up for the British high street against the dumping of cheap imports of products that undercut British retailers.”There are growing fears of dumping in the UK by Chinese retailers and manufacturers just as the US looks set to revoke the “de-minimis” exception for Chinese-made goods under which parcels with a value of less than $800 (£600) shipped to individuals are exempt from import tax and do not pass through normal customs checks
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Smartphones contain the entirety of our modern lives, from photos, messages and memories to credit cards, bank accounts and all life admin, so when one gets lost or stolen it can be far worse than the cost of the actual handset.Here’s what to do if the worst happens. Quickly taking these steps will help protect yourself against data theft, scams and fraud, and with luck could even lead to you being reunited with your phone.Try to locate your phone with Find My on Apple or Google, if you have it turned on. You can use a browser on a computer, tablet or even a friend’s phone
Meta ‘hastily’ changed moderation policy with little regard to impact, says oversight board
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta announced sweeping content moderation changes “hastily” and with no indication it had considered the human rights impact, the social media company’s oversight board has said.The assessment of the changes came as the board also criticised the Facebook and Instagram owner for leaving up three posts containing anti-Muslim and anti-migrant content during riots in the UK last summer.The oversight board raised concerns about the company’s announcement in January that it was removing factcheckers in the US, reducing “censorship” on its platforms and recommending more political content.In its first official statement on the changes, the board – which issues binding decisions on removing Meta content – said the company had acted too quickly and should gauge the impact of its changes on human rights.“Meta’s January 7, 2025, policy and enforcement changes were announced hastily, in a departure from regular procedure, with no public information shared as to what, if any, prior human rights due diligence the company performed,” said the board
Andrew Flintoff feels cricket coaching chance ‘saved me’ after Top Gear crash
Andrew Flintoff has described his return to cricket as a coach over the past 18 months as “the one thing that saved me” as he struggled to come to terms with the mental and physical scars caused in a car accident during filming for the BBC’s Top Gear in December 2022.Flintoff talks for the first time about the accident and its aftermath in a Disney+ documentary to be released on Friday. “After the accident I didn’t think I had it in me to get through,” he says.“This sounds awful: part of me thinks I should have been killed. Part of me thinks I wish I had died
Rory McIlroy shaken by scale of ‘absolutely amazing’ reaction to Masters triumph
Rory McIlroy has admitted to being taken aback by the scale of reaction to his Masters triumph. Two US presidents – Donald Trump and Barack Obama – plus huge names from worlds outside sport have contacted the Northern Irishman since he completed the career grand slam at Augusta National. Amid moving scenes at Augusta, McIlroy’s outpouring of emotion reverberated way beyond golf. The achievement meant “everything and more” to McIlroy. It struck chords elsewhere
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