Labour call on PM to investigate Sir Geoffrey Cox MP

[rjfp1962]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59218438

[Lardydah]

The Spectator are saying that whilst in the BVI he was "advising the tax haven over Foreign Office corruption charges".

Does that mean he was advising against the government, as an ex attorney general and whilst sitting as an MP?

[DeejRC]

Oh I completely agree with him if he was! It is absolutely the duty of MPs to encourage people to be as legally efficient with their financial affairs as possible!

Not even a hint of moral ambiguity in this one for me.

[deadslow]

takes one to know one, I suppose

[5 In a Row]

It must be pretty easy being an MP(I'm sure it isn't if you're conscientious) - I don't think I could manage a second job in addition to the full-time one I currently have

Mind you if they want some independent people to sit on a part-time standards panel to monitor them I'll happily do that for a few quid!

[sugerbear]

All very grubby isn’t it.

[bazza white]

If you can and do earn a £1k/hour your MP job priorities going to be well down the list. Looks like an average of at least 20hurs a week. ontop of his MP role.

I wonder if he actually paid any taxes here spending so much time over there.

[valiant]

If you’re earning that much over and above your primary role as a second job then it clearly is no longer your second job.

His constituents must be so happy that their MP is effectively part time.

[Murph7355]

Labour are just sour that none of them could command more than £10 an hour on the open market

The amounts should be irrelevant. You are either allowed to work two jobs or you aren't. And "job" includes being a union stooge.

Personally I think it all needs stopping. If he wants to rake it in whilst in the BVI then fill your boots. But step down as an MP.

[Murph7355]

Labour are just sour that none of them could command more than £10 an hour on the open market

The amounts should be irrelevant. You are either allowed to work two jobs or you aren't. And "job" includes being a union stooge.

Personally I think it all needs stopping. If he wants to rake it in whilst in the BVI then fill your boots. But step down as an MP.

[rjfp1962]

Unsurprising Sir Geoffrey Cox is claiming no wrongdoing..!, saying that the voters will decide whether he remains an MP.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59233473

[Mandat]

rjfp1962 said:

Unsurprising Sir Geoffrey Cox is claiming no wrongdoing..!, saying that the voters will decide whether he remains an MP.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59233473

If the most damning transgression that can be levied at Cox is that he used his MP office, instead of sitting at home, Starbucks, any other office, etc. during a video call, then I am not at all bothered by this apparently "corrupt & sleazy" behaviour.

[sugerbear]

Mandat said:

rjfp1962 said:

Unsurprising Sir Geoffrey Cox is claiming no wrongdoing..!, saying that the voters will decide whether he remains an MP.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59233473

If the most damning transgression that can be levied at Cox is that he used his MP office, instead of sitting at home, Starbucks, any other office, etc. during a video call, then I am not at all bothered by this apparently "corrupt & sleazy" behaviour.

The rule says "MPs cannot use public resources, including parliamentary offices, for "personal or financial benefit"."

He used his office for personal or financial benefit by conducting outside business which was for his personal (and I assume financial) benefit.

You may think it's trivial, but he broke the rules and needs to be judged and appropriately sanctioned for it. MP's are not gods, they dont get to pick and choose which rules/laws they abide by. And any other MP who has done the same ALSO needs to be judged and sanctioned appropriately regardless of the party they represent.

it must not be down to the local electorate to decide in x number of years after which the MP will have pockets potentially millions in outside income whilst also pocketing an MP's salary and all the other benefits that go with that.

[bitchstewie]

Of all the things going on there it does seem a little petty to be bothered by him using his Parliamentary office to join a meeting if I'm honest.

Is taking a non-work phone call in your office in the Commons OK?

Sending a non-work email on your personal phone but in your office?

I've only seen a screenshot so I'm happy to be corrected but there doesn't look to be any suggestion he was trying to gain by using the office so it doesn't feel the same as if he was sending private correspondence on Parliamentary letterhead.

Let the standards committee/commissioner do their job but honestly where do you draw that line?

[sugerbear]

bhstewie said:

Of all the things going on there it does seem a little petty to be bothered by him using his Parliamentary office to join a meeting if I'm honest.

Is taking a non-work phone call in your office in the Commons OK?

Sending a non-work email on your personal phone but in your office?

I've only seen a screenshot so I'm happy to be corrected but there doesn't look to be any suggestion he was trying to gain by using the office so it doesn't feel the same as if he was sending private correspondence on Parliamentary letterhead.

Let the standards committee/commissioner do their job but honestly where do you draw that line?

The rule is absolute. That meeting included about 7 people on a video call so it was clearly very "planned".

He broke the rules. Simple.

[rover 623gsi]

And he writes about himself in the third person

https://www.geoffreycox.co.uk/news/statement-sir-g...

So he’s a clearly a tt

[bitchstewie]

sugerbear said:

The rule is absolute. That meeting included about 7 people on a video call so it was clearly very "planned".

He broke the rules. Simple.

If the rule is that absolute I'm fine with it.

But given all the stuff going on that is quite literally sleaze and corruption I can't help but think jumping on a Zoom call from your work office doesn't seem something to get too excited by.

Almost like the egregious stuff falls within the rules but stinks whilst the minor stuff doesn't stink so bad but it's outside the rules so gotcha.

[JagLover]

rover 623gsi said:

And he writes about himself in the third person

https://www.geoffreycox.co.uk/news/statement-sir-g...

So he’s a clearly a tt

and he sounds like Brian Blessed

[Countdown]

sugerbear said:

The rule says "MPs cannot use public resources, including parliamentary offices, for "personal or financial benefit"."

He used his office for personal or financial benefit by conducting outside business which was for his personal (and I assume financial) benefit.

You may think it's trivial, but he broke the rules and needs to be judged and appropriately sanctioned for it. MP's are not gods, they dont get to pick and choose which rules/laws they abide by. And any other MP who has done the same ALSO needs to be judged and sanctioned appropriately regardless of the party they represent.

it must not be down to the local electorate to decide in x number of years after which the MP will have pockets potentially millions in outside income whilst also pocketing an MP's salary and all the other benefits that go with that.

I've always interpreted that as meaning you mustn't use company resources to enable your personal work to be carried out e.g. using the office Photocopier to churn out leaflets for your local takeaway, use your office phone for selling double glazing, running a minicab business from one of the meeting rooms etc. if it's incidental and there is no additional cost then it's a bit "meh" for me.

The bigger issue is being allowed to have second jobs in the first place.

[sam.rog]

For most MP’s being an actual MP is a second or third job. It’s only the st ones that don’t . About time the plebs realised this and left them alone.