Tag Archives: double-jobbing
The Conservatives support big business and corruption rather than the electorate
This cartoon by David Simonds, from The Guardian, illustrates the problem – fat-cat businesses back Cameron while the working-class poor can only watch while they starve.
Looking at the headline, one might thing that is a bold claim – but it is what David Cameron's party supported with their votes yesterday.
The Tories fended off a Labour Opposition Day motion for Parliament to ban MPs from having directorships or consultancies with private business interests with a vote of 287 against the motion, compared with 219 for – a majority of 68.
Shadow Commons Leader Angela Eagle said the public deserved to be "safe in the knowledge" that every MP was working and acting in their interests – and not for somebody paying them.
But her Tory counterpart, William Hague, pretended that unions were a far greater influence on MPs.
In that case, perhaps he should have explained the amount of influence that unions have held over the Coalition Government during the last five years, relative to big business – to illustrate his point.
No such demonstration was forthcoming – because unions have no influence on Tories while businesses dictate the Conservative Party's every move.
This is what the last five years of Conservative-led Coalition Government have been about, you see – changing the system to make it easier for big business to make a profit – and to pass some of it on to the Tories in donations to party funds.
You won't see any change in that while Tories are in office.
Labour has already changed its rules to ensure none of its MPs can hold business consultancies or directorships after this year's general election.
That sends out a clear message about who voters can trust to make the right decisions.
David Cameron, meanwhile, just can't get anything right.
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This entry was posted in Conservative Party, Corruption, Politics, Trade Unions, UK and tagged cash for access, Conservative, consultancies, consultancy, corruption, David Cameron, directorship, double-jobbing, Ed Miliband, hedge funds, Jack Straw, lobbying, lobbyist, Malcolm Rifkind, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, MP, second job, support, Tories, Tory, trade union, vote, Vox Political on February 26, 2015 by Mike Sivier.
Cameron outflanked and outclassed by Miliband on MPs' second jobs
Triumph: Ed Miliband had David Cameron on the ropes in Prime Minister's Questions.
That'll be another win for Ed Miliband this week, then.
Obviously, the topic of the leader exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions (or Wednesday Shouty Time, for political realists) was always going to be MPs' second jobs and 'cash for access'.
Both Conservative Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Labour MP Jack Straw were implicated in a 'hidden camera' operation to show they were selling their services as MPs for money.
Ed Miliband acted immediately with a plan to stop MPs taking high-paying consultancies and directorships, saying they cannot serve two masters. David Cameron, on the other hand, did nothing – putting him in a weak position before today's battle began.
It started in civilised fashion: Ed Miliband said the reputation of all members of the House had been "damaged" by the recent revelations, and Cameron responded by saying they were "extremely serious" and it is right they are investigated.
Cameron went on to explain that he is not ruling out further changes on second jobs – but the existing rules should be "properly applied". Meaning they're not already? Whose responsibility is that?
Having built up a slight head of steam, Cameron then ruined it by suggesting the government has tightened up the rules on lobbying and introduced a right of recall. We all know that both of these measures pay lip-services to their stated aim, while in fact protecting lobbyists' access to ministers and helping MPs keep their seats.
Miliband capitalised on this by pointing out that Cameron said – in a 2009 speech before he became Prime Minister – that he would end the practice of "double-jobbing" as he called it then. We all know nothing happened about it after he took office so this was clearly yet another pre-2010 election lie.
Cameron tried to parry by saying Labour's proposals to ban outside directorships are "not thought through", repeating a claim made earlier this week that they would allow someone to be a trade union official but not run a family business or shop.
He worsened his position by adding that he believes Parliament is "stronger" if MPs have outside interests. So he's in favour of the kind of corruption exhibited by Rifkind and Straw?
Clearly, Cameron thought his line on "paid trade union officials" would hammer Miliband down – but the Labour leader batted it away without batting an eyelid. He said he was prepared to add trade union officials to the list of extra jobs that should be banned, in Labour's motion on the subject to be debated later.
This left Cameron with nowhere to go. He tried to raise the outside earnings of current and former Labour ministers like Tristram Hunt and David Miliband, but the Labour leader said Cameron "talked big" while in opposition and should now "vote for one job – not two".
Cameron's final claim, that Labour is "owned lock stock and barrel" by the unions, fell flat following Miliband's concession on union jobs, while Mr Miliband scored a final hit by pointing out that the Conservatives are controlled by wealthy hedge funds.
Now Cameron is in a corner.
He won't want to let Labour score a victory by conceding this afternoon's vote on consultancies and directorships (and now, it seems, trade union officialdom) because it would allow Labour to say it has again changed government policy – and also the rules of Parliament.
But if he opposes the move, then the electorate will see a Conservative Party that works for big business rather than the electorate, and supports corruption.
What is he going to do?
highlighting the dilemmas of a Prime Minister who has
talked himself into a corner.
This entry was posted in Conservative Party, Corruption, Politics, Trade Unions, UK and tagged cash for access, consultancies, consultancy, corruption, David Cameron, directorship, double-jobbing, Ed Miliband, hedge funds, Jack Straw, lobbying, lobbyist, Malcolm Rifkind, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, MP, second job, trade union, Vox Political on February 25, 2015 by Mike Sivier.