Reform UK immigration spokesperson and former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe is concerned that Labour’s proposed crackdown on MPs having second jobs will lead to a “second-rate” parliament.
It emerged yesterday that the Modernisation Committee had been established, tasked with reforming House of Commons procedures.
An early priority for MPs in the group is to look into outside paid engagements such as media appearances.
Such a clampdown would concern the likes of Reform MPs Lee Anderson and Nigel Farage, who both host shows on GB News.
Ann Widdecombe urged Nigel Farage to fight against such a policy
GB NEWS
Speaking on The People’s Channel, Widdecombe questioned where the line is drawn.
“I think if you look at the whole argument around MPs’ second jobs, you have to make so many exceptions”, she said.
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“At the end of it, what you’re really doing is choosing who you’re going to prevent from doing second jobs.
“That’s what seems to be happening here. They’ve said it’s paid media appearances, but where does it stop? They’ve got to decide exactly what they’re going to ban.
“Are one off articles in newspapers on subjects of expertise going to be banned? What are they going to do? They haven’t actually told us.”
Patrick Christys suggested that some people subscribe to the theory that MPs should be solely focused on their task of representing their constituents.
Labour's Lucy Powell is to chair a new 'modernisation committee' to target second jobs of MPs, particularly in broadcastingPABut according to Widdecombe, such an intervention would only do more to disengage MPs from those they are meant to be representing.
“I can’t imaging anything worse than a parliament full of people who have no connection with the outside world beyond the job they actually do”, she aid.
“Then you start on the exceptions. You have doctors, dentists.”
Asked how Nigel Farage should act in response, Widdecombe said the Reform UK leader will seek to ensure such laws do not come into place.
Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson on the campaign trail for ReformGB NewsCommittees are usually chaired by backbench MPs but this one is chaired by Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons.
She said: "It is a great privilege to serve constituents as a member of parliament, but this privilege requires us to embody the very highest standards.
"As we turn the page in this parliament following the events of the last, the Modernisation Committee will find ways to do things better."
She said the committee will "set out to drive up standards, improve the culture and working practices and reform procedures to make the House of Commons more open and accessible to people from all walks of life".