The government has taken the controversial decision to roll back plans to crackdown on MP’s second jobs, prompting anger from a Wokingham Councillor. 

In the wake of the Owen Patterson scandal last year, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had backed plans to limit the amount of time MPs could spend on second jobs. 

However, in a recent Commons committee meeting ministers said it would be “impractical” to put limits on outside interests. 

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Councillor for Hawkedon, Clive Jones – who was recently announced as the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the Wokingham constituency – said: “I don’t think that MPs should be doing other jobs. I Never have.  

“I always thought that if you are an MP, you should be busy enough working on behalf of your constituents.” 

Upwards of 200 MPs have received an income in addition to the £81,932 basic salary they are awarded as a constituent MP – which will increase by £2,212 on April 1. One example is the MP for Wokingham, John Redwood. 

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Part of the £228,657 Redwood has earned over the last year, in addition to his parliamentary salary, comes from the £192,888 a year he earns from his role as Global Strategist for investment advisory company, Charles Stanley. 

On the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, Redwood states: “My duties are to provide three written commentaries a week on global markets and economies, excluding the UK and making oral and written presentations to investment meetings.” 

Redwood, a prominent supporter of Brexit, was criticised for advising investors in a Financial Times article to “look further afield” due to the state of the UK economy post the 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU. 

Cllr Jones said: “If it’s economically bad to be ‘taking back control’ of our country, then why are we doing it? If it’s bad for the livelihoods of the people of Wokingham and elsewhere in the UK, why are we doing it?”  

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When approached for comment, Redwood said: “I provide a seven day a week always on call service as an MP and produce a daily commentary seven days a week on issues that matter to people and on my actions.” 

Redwood works 50 hours a month in his role at Charles Stanley – nearly a third of the average working month in the UK. 

“My big problem is not so much the money that people are earning,” said Cllr Jones, “but the time that they are spending not representing their constituents.” 

John Redwood voted in favour of putting aside Paterson's suspension and reviewing the standards system.