As well as causing a scandal for the Labour government, the recent resignation of Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali has brought the question of whether MPs should be allowed to have second jobs back to the public’s attention.
On the 6th August 2025, it was revealed that Ali relisted a property for which she acted as landlord with a £700 rent increase, after claiming the fixed-term tenancy ended and wasn’t renewed in order to sell the house.
Ali has previously called to stop the exploitation of private renters and supported the Renters’ Rights Bill, which bans landlords from evicting tenants simply to raise the rent. With the Bill expected to become law in 2026, this was Ali’s last chance to raise the rent and increase profits. Ali was quickly labelled a hypocrite by Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake (among others), and with mounting calls to leave office, she resigned a day after the scandal broke.
Ali maintains that she did nothing illegal and that she resigned so as to not be a “distraction.” While no laws appear to have been broken, it brings up the question of whether MPs should be allowed to have second jobs (be they landlords, laywers, or litigators) and if these jobs create a conflict of interest.
It is common nowadays for MPs to have second jobs outside of their Parliamentary responsibilities. A report by The Guardian found that 236 out of 650 MPs reported outside earnings, and six MPs have dedicated one day of the working week to second jobs. As well as being Clacton’s MP, Nigel Farage is reported to have eight other jobs, ranging from GB News TV presenter, journalist for The Telegraph and Direct Bullion’s brand ambassador.
These ‘side hustles’ can be very lucrative. Farage’s variety of jobs is said to have earned him £571,585 in just under six months. That being said, given that MPs have recently had a pay increase to £93,904 a year and the average UK salary in 2025 is £37,500—some two-and-a-half times less—it feels unnecessary for MPs to have second jobs in order to be financially comfortable. This doesn’t even include the range of allowances and benefits that are also afforded to members of parliament, benefits that the expenses scandal of 2009 and the early 2010s brought into sharp focus.
You could argue that these generous salaries and benefit packages can be justified as they encourage more people to go into public office, opening up politics to more than those who are born into wealthy families. It is also true that MPs are paid similarly to other jobs that serve the public such as headteachers and doctors. Even if you agree with this, however, this still doesn’t mean that MPs need other sources of income. Second jobs simply take time away from constituents.
Farage’s stream of extracurricular positions has resulted in Clacton constituents feeling abandoned by their MP. One constituent claimed Farage hasn’t been to any town board meetings and has “done nothing” in Clacton. This is a clear example of how MPs having second jobs take away time that could be used to solve local issues. Given that MPs are elected to represent a constituency, second jobs simply take time away from the people MPs are supposed to serve.
Second jobs also sets the stage for corruption. While ministers are required to declare all outside interests and jobs in the Register of Members’ Interests, many MPs have failed to adhere to this and remain open to undue levels of influence from their benefactors. MP Owen Paterson’s breach of lobbying rules illustrates this perfectly.
During his tenure as MP for North Shropshire, Paterson was also a paid consultant for two companies, with one of them paying him £8,333 for 16 hours of work per month. He approached the Food Standards Agency on behalf of these companies, violating the MP lobbying rules. While MPs are allowed to have jobs as consultants, they have to declare their personal interests and are prohibited from accepting money to raise matters with the government. The scandal soon led to his resignation in 2021.
This is a clear example of how second jobs can turn MPs into paid advocates, inviting corruption and dishonesty into the Commons. With multiple jobs, it becomes easier for personal interests to take precedence over public interests.
Second jobs have proven time and time again that they create the possibility of corporations influencing MPs. Former Blackpool South MP, Scott Benton is a vivid example of this. In a meeting with undercover investigative reporters posing as investors, Benton claimed he could schedule parliamentary questions for them and leak classified papers. As Benton declined a paid advisor job the reporters offered him, he technically didn’t break the code of conduct. However, it demonstrates how companies can buy access to government via elected representatives.
As MPs vote on what becomes law and are also able to work as consultants for companies, it allows the possibility for contracts to be bought. While the possibility of MPs being corrupted is slim, second jobs only invite suspicion over lobbying.
While the jobs MPs can have has been limited by the Labour government, with consultancy work being banned, MPs are still allowed to be paid to write articles and for media appearances. Furthermore, the Labour government has switched their stance on MPs being allowed second jobs. There was no sign of their previous pledge to ban second jobs for MPs in their 2024 manifesto.
However, with certain professions such as doctors and lawyers it makes sense why those MPs should keep their jobs in order to retain their professional skills. Furthermore, these jobs don’t put them in a position where their employer might be employing them solely for their access to Parliament. While lawyer MPs might work cases for companies that government regulations could affect, it is a trained profession with standards of conduct that help to prevent them from undue influence or corruption. Standards that do not exist in roles such as lobbying.
It seems law is a chosen profession for many in government. In 2019, 7% of new MPs were lawyers and around 4% of all candidates for election in 2024 were lawyers. For example, Sir Geoffry Cox, MP for Torridge and Tavistock continues to earn hundreds of thousands for his legal work. And even the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has a background as a human rights lawyer.
However, most lawyer MPs stop practising when they enter office. According to the Register of Members’ Financial Interests as of 4th August 2025, only three of of the 14 MPs registered as barristers are actually practising law alongside their parliamentary work.
It is also true that, for the companies that employ them, campaigning from an MP is likely to be more effective due to their close connections to the government. This leaves open the possibility of MPs being taken advantage of. Being paid by both the government and outside companies blurs the line between public and private interests.
It feels the solution is simple – apart from roles that need continuous practice, such as medical and legal professionals, don’t allow MPs to have outside work when sitting in Parliament. After all, that would stop all the questions about whether an MP is recommending a company based on its merits, or on the size of the paycheck they’re receiving.
Words by Grace Loveday
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