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Britain's ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson (centre) and his successor Rishi Sunak (photo taken on 1 December 2021)
Photo: Henry Nicholls / REUTERS
According to a report, members of parliament in Great Britain earned a total of around ten million pounds (around 11.6 million euros) in addition to their regular salary last year with lucrative additional income – above all former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. According to an analysis published on Sunday by The Guardian Daily, Johnson's extra income in 2022 amounted to 4.8 million pounds (5.6 million euros) on top of his salary.
The additional income of the parliamentarians, the vast majority of them from the conservatives, came from a variety of lucrative jobs such as consulting work. But according to the newspaper, some deputies were also active as speakers or television presenters.
No plans to restrict secondary activities
For example, former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg received around £29,000 per month for a presenter at the right-wing broadcaster GB News. Former Conservative Finance and Health Secretary Sajid Javid earned around £25,000 a month as an advisor to an investment firm.
Further income from additional income in the amount of £400,000 was allocated by the newspaper to MPs from the opposition Labour Party and two smaller parties.
The basic salary of British parliamentarians is currently around £86,000. Plans to restrict secondary activities for MPs were dropped last year. A parliamentary committee has put forward a number of proposals in this regard. For changes, however, a cross-party agreement is necessary.
In the midst of the worst crisis in Great Britain in decades due to the massive increase in the cost of living, the willingness of Conservative MPs to take up lucrative part-time jobs had triggered a controversy. In March, activists published videos of two Conservative ex-ministers whose £10,000 a day fee for consultancy work had made headlines.
ktz/AFP