UK government to crack down on MPs earning extra cash from media firms
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Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage are among those who have earned large sums from broadcasters, but a tightening of rules on MPs’ outside interests is being considered. MPs would no longer be able to rake in huge sums that can see them more than double their parliamentary salaries by signing contracts with media outlets, under plans being considered by ministers.
![[David Lamy in the LBC studio]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/0812383ace44adde4cf95fa6d925524fd487e903/60_0_1800_1080/master/1800.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The Observer has been told that talks on further tightening rules on MPs’ outside interests, including media contracts, will be started by leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, at a hearing of the all-party standards committee on Tuesday.
![[Lee Anderson]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/cc4eadc4278e78b717138ad4630e2398013729fc/60_0_1800_1080/master/1800.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Current and former MPs, including Reform UK’s Lee Anderson and the Conservative former MP and minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, have pulled in six-figure sums as regular presenters on GB News while having seats in the House of Commons. Reform’s leader, Nigel Farage, is also receiving large sums from the channel.
Anderson has listed income of £100,000 a year for eight hours a week for his on-screen work from 1 March 2023, while Rees-Mogg registered well over £300,000 a year for his role as a presenter between February 2023 and March 2024 before he lost his North East Somerset seat at last July’s general election.
David Lammy, now the foreign secretary, topped Labour’s list of highest paid MPs in opposition with additional income of £243,800 between 2019 and 2023. This included £99,300 from his regular radio show on LBC. In its first few weeks in office, the government tightened the rules on MPs’ outside interests so they would no longer be able to be paid for giving advice on public policy or guidance on how parliament works.
