To think being an MP is a full-time job and being Editor of The Standard is also a full-time job?

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Not for superman George Osborne, though. He has just been appointed Editor of the Standard and will continue as an MP. How delighted his constituents must be.

YANBU !!!

Brilliant post and completely agree. You only have to look at Tristram Hunt (recently "resigned" from being an MP to take up a shiny new job), Jamie Reed (Copeland MP, quits for a job in Sellafield) to see that there is a new breed of MPs who see the 'job' not as public service for constituents, but as a stepping stone to big private sector jobs.

There are plenty of constituents who sigh when their MP is mentioned, because they know they never see them.

He should be working hard as an MP, but he'll do this new prestigious job without any real experience of journalism - he was turned down from a number of prestigious newspapers, and only got a bit of columnist work after a friend helped him out.

Perhaps he does have a little more time o his hands now he's not Chancellor. One would have thought he could spend it focusing on his constituents, yes. Dont forget about his consultancies, too. At least we can be confident that all his earnings will be taxes fully with no spurious avoidance schemes involved....YANBU!

I'm guessing he's lining up work for when his constituency disappears at the next election and as such doesn't care about re-election.

Seems odd to have a sitting MP direct a paper's editorial stance although the paper is pretty right wing anyway.

Someone on Twitter said 'Doesn't he have about 56 jobs now?' I can't get my head round this. How can it be allowed? A generation ago it was very common for male MPs to keep their hand in as barristers or non-exec directors, and the hours at the House of Commons were all arranged to allow them to do their other job in the morning and then stroll over for a debate and a vote and a lot of drinking in the afternoon/evening. It's not the same job now. Far, far more expected of MPs in terms of constitutency work and sitting on select committees.

This came up on question time the other week (2nd jobs), iirc some parties don't allow it at all, I think tories and labour do. Apparently it's currently under discussion whether they (MP's not just ministers) should be allows to have 2nd jobs at all.

Personally I think it's wrong. In addition to it meaning they're not giving their full attention to a very important primary job, depending what the 2nd job is can mean they are dubiously influenced. It can create a conflict of interest.

YANBU - I feel for the poor writers and subeditors who'll be expected to do more work for less money to pick up the slack for Part Time Osborne.

His early attempts to get into journalism were not very successful.

He won't be the proper editor. It will be more of a ceremonial role, with the bonus of added contacts for the paper.

I don't like this kind of appointment. You end up with a media scene that is too blinkered and privileged, and can't see what is actually happening on the ground. The best papers were always run by editors with experience in old style beat reporting.

One day, there'll be a revolution in this country and none of the papers will realise until its reported on RT.

He's my dad's local MP. Aren't they merging it with Macclesfield and Cheadle Hulme, so he won't have a constituency for much longer? Bit of a bizarre Tory decision given that you could put up a donkey with a blue rosette around there and it would get voted in, so they are effectively getting rid of a totally safe seat!

I do hope he gets booted out of office soon.

I think he has a few other boardroom level jobs. The family wallpaper firm for one??

YABU. It's almost an ambassadorial role at the Standard.

He's also not even vaguely qualified. The world has gone mad. I imagine he has the title Of editor and Someone else will actually do it.

YABU! Didn't you see his speech - they edit the newspaper in the morning and make parliamentary votes in the afternoon, so what's the problem? And it will all be completely unbiased news! I hope you can hear the irony in my voice. The man is a total prick! Also if being an MP only requires availability in the afternoon then is he on a part time salary?

He's just following Boris' example who was, at one point, a multi-skilling MP, Mayor and Telegraph columnist.

Lebedev desperately wants a gong and Gideon is still a Privy Council member?

YANBU. This has made me really angry - how can he even pretend that he is in the slightest bit interested in serving his consistuents when he is working four days a week as a newspaper editor? And as someone in the publishing trade, although a different sector, it is rather galling that someone can just waltz into the top job without any experience in journalism whatsoever!

And how can it be right in a democracy to have a sitting MP of the ruling party running a news outlet? There's no way you could expect them to be unbiased (not that the Standard was before anyway).

Tatton should demand a byelection and vote him out, but they won't because they would vote in Satan himself if he painted his horns blue.

YANBU

MP's shouldn't have other jobs or be directors of companies

Of course MP's are not trusted when they have their fingers is so many pies

Being an MP is a highly privileged job you have been voted by the public to do not a side job while you get on with your real career

Said in the news he's going to be in office at the newspaper from 5/6am until midday. Which leaves the afternoons for MP work.

Disgrace.

Hope he gets his MP wages halved!

Doubt that getting his mp salary reduced will make a jot of difference to him financially ! According to the guardian in addition to his £75000 salary as an mp, he receives £13000 a day as an advisor to Blackrock, a global investment company, a stipend of £120,000 a year from an american think tank, £800,000 for 15 speaking engagements and an undisclosed figure for a book deal !

He seems to have been very big on representing the views of Londoners today. He's not lining himself up as a candidate for Mayor is he in years to come.. and then an easy slide back onto the Front Bench??

No, but it's the principle. He's a public servant.

I work for the NHS. If I claimed a full time salary but only showed up for afternoons I'd be done for fraud.

He's a busy guy. I wonder how what the job description of an MP is?

In some jobs, you get a performance review against targets. If you're an MP in a safe seat, you can probably get away with a lot.

And while this is happening the Tories continue to persecute the low waged and unemployed ever more

Isn't it a massive conflict of interest??

If I claimed a full time salary but only showed up for afternoons I'd be done for fraud.
Exactly- it should be pro-rata. Same for BJ when he was doing the mayor job too.

Well the Standard can no longer pretend to be anything more than the West London Tory newsletter. It's a terrible rag obsessed with inflating property prices and aimed at people from outside London who commute in.