More Moonlighting MPs

While reading the Sunday Times at the weekend I also came across the following piece by Roland White - which probably helps to explain the low profile of a certain  David Miliband these days.

The older Miliband brother seems to have voted with his feet - and his wallet.

And just like the former Labour Prime Minister - Gordon Brown - David Miliband seems to spend an awful lot of time away from his day job in the House of Commons - pursuing other lucrative interests.

Miliband priced out of the Labour market

"It's sometimes suggested that David Miliband could still lead the Labour party once his little brother has finished playing with it. But could he afford the big drop in salary?

The former foreign secretary has just become an adviser to a private equaity company in Pakistan. He says he is "delighted" to be joining Indus Basin Holdings, which specialises in agricultural investment.

It would be churlish - and wrong - to mention Labour leader Ed's party conference speech lastyear, which was widely reported as an attack on private equity companies. So instead let's admire David's growing portfolio. As a director of Sunderland FC, he earns £75,000 for "up to 15 days" work a year. He made about £130,000 from speeches last year, and pocketed a fee of £24,000 for a week's teaching at an American university. It's not quite Tony Blair's £12 million a year, but it's a start.

Up the workers!"

The essential difference between Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Miliband - is that Tony Blair actually resigned his seat - he is no longer an MP and is therefore free to do exactly as he likes.

But that is not true of David Miliband and Gordon Brown - and many MPs from other parties - who take £65,000 plus tens of thousands of pounds in office expenses.

The bottom line is that if being an MP is a full-time job - then MPs should not be allowed to treat it as a part-time one.

Because it's the public that's being short-changed.

So why don't they just stand down and let someone else do the job - who is willing to give it their full commitment?