North MPs earn extra cash for second jobs

May 28 2009 by Will Green, The Journal

FORMER ministers Hilary Armstrong, Doug Henderson and Stephen Byers have received tens of thousands of pounds working for private companies on top of the salaries they earn as MPs.

The North East politicians said “outside interests” benefited their Parliamentary work and stressed they did not lobby Government for any businesses they worked for. They also receive a backbench salary currently set at £64,766 a year.

Former Cabinet member Hilary Armstrong receives in the region of £35,000 to chair the advisory committee of waste company SITA UK.

The board meets four times annually and Ms Armstrong has “informal contact” with other members and the chief executive in between.

She took the position last September after stepping down from ministerial office in 2007. Ms Armstrong is also a patron to the SITA Trust, which supports community and environmental projects.

As a member of the advisory board of GovNet Communications, the Labour MP has received £5,000 and attends meetings about once every two months.

She also hosted a fringe event at the Labour party conference, attended an awards evening and chaired two conferences on social exclusion and data sharing last year. She was paid £1,000 for the work at the conference.

Newcastle North MP Doug Henderson has received £25,000 for 10 days’ work annually as an adviser for fast food giant McDonald's for the past four years.

And former Transport and Trade Secretary Stephen Byers could have earned as much as £60,000 writing press articles, making speeches and attending conferences - including abroad - since 2003.