Boris Johnson will oppose a ban on MPs’ second jobs despite fury at the sleaze row engulfing the government.
Downing Street today confirmed the Prime Minister “doesn’t back an outright ban on second jobs” in the wake of the row.
That was despite No10 issuing a verbal slapdown to Tory MP Geoffrey Cox, who earned more than £1m for 22 hours a week of legal work in the last year.
Sir Geoffrey cast proxy votes in Parliament from the British Virgin Islands while giving legal advice to its government in a corruption inquiry.
Downing Street said MPs’ “primary job” should be serving their constituents and those who are not visible in their seat are “not doing their job”.
But No10 refused to say if the PM - who was paid £275,000 a year by the Telegraph while an MP - would speak to Sir Geoffrey or back any rule changes.
No10 did not rule out some rule changes, saying only the Prime Minister did not back a ban on “all” second jobs.
But the spokesman added Parliament “has benefited” from outside experience, such as those who work in the NHS.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has also stopped short of backing a ban on MPs’ second jobs, despite Labour’s 2019 manifesto promising one with “limited exceptions” like nursing.
Sir Keir said yesterday that Labour had "long called" for the MPs' code of conduct to ban "paid directorships and consultancy roles" for serving members.
He said: "The current code of conduct recognises that these roles are a potential conflict of interest but doesn't ban them. We voted to fix that in 2015 but were blocked by the Government.”
Sir Geoffrey Cox is thought to have spent weeks in the British Virgin Islands in April and May this year - 4,000 miles away from his Devon seat.
The job contributed to more than £1m in legal fees the QC took in the last year as he worked more than 20 hours a week - at the same time as his £81,932 job as an MP.
There is no suggestion he broke any Commons rules. But the astonishing revelation prompted a fresh row over second jobs as sleaze engulfs Boris Johnson.
A Whitehall insider told the Daily Mail: “While he should have been in the UK working for his constituents he's been over in the British Virgin Islands doing his second job working as a barrister."
No10 issued a verbal slapdown to Geoffrey Cox - but also refused to say if Boris Johnson has spoken to him or backs any rule changes.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister’s view is that MPs’ primary job is and must be to serve their constituents and to represent their interests in Parliament.
“They should be visible in their constituencies and available to help constituents with their constituency matters.
“If they’re not doing that, they’re not doing their job, and will be rightly judged on that by their constituents.”
But the spokesman also said “the PM doesn’t back an outright ban on second jobs”.
And he refused repeatedly to say if Mr Johnson would speak to Sir Geoffrey, or back any changes to the rules.
Instead the spokesman said “the rules around this aren’t set by government” and “that would be a matter for the House”.
That is despite the fact Mr Johnson openly called for changes to the Commons standards regime - also a matter for the House - just days ago.
Meanwhile, No10 confirmed a vote will be held next week allowing MPs to condemn Owen Paterson.
MPs will be given a chance to approve a report which found the veteran Tory breached lobbying rules.
The vote will also “unpick” an amendment Tory MPs passed rewriting standards rules - which prompted outcry.
But it will have no impact on Mr Paterson’s fate because he has already resigned.
And Downing Street refused to apologise for the debacle, instead saying it was “a mistake and regrettable”.
