Since the inception of the 2024 parliament, a total of seven members of parliament (MPs) have been allocating approximately one workday each week to additional pursuits outside of their parliamentary duties. These roles range from TV presenters and lawyers to consultants. An analysis by The Guardian indicates that these seven MPs have collectively logged at least 300 hours of work in outside employment since July, which averages to eight hours a week for each. In total, they have amassed over 3,000 hours between them. An additional seven MPs have dedicated at least five hours each week to second jobs.
Among these, Nigel Farage has emerged as the highest earner from additional roles this parliament so far. Farage, who leads Reform UK, has claimed an average of about 24 working hours weekly across various roles including as a cameo creator, GB News presenter, social media influencer, among others. Despite this, Farage has participated in only a third of parliamentary votes to date, much lower than the 72% average for other MPs, as recorded by Public Whip.
Conservative MP George Freeman has also been busy with science and technology advisory roles for private companies, dedicating an average of 11.5 hours per week to these endeavors. He emphasizes that his parliamentary work as a constituency MP remains unaffected, and that his external work complements his role in promoting UK science startups.
Further details include Reform UK’s Lee Anderson working around 10.5 hours weekly on GB News and social media. Geoffrey Cox KC, a Conservative MP, and John Hayes, also Conservative, have declared around 9 hours and 22 minutes and 8 hours and 48 minutes per week respectively, across their legal and multiple roles. Labour’s James Naish has done an average of 8 hours and 47 minutes of outside work per week, though he cut down his hours at a property sales company at the end of August. Lastly, DUP’s Carla Lockhart has declared about 8 hours weekly on her farm in County Fermanagh.
The Guardian’s analysis covered hours billed for one-off payments and estimated hours for ongoing employment. It noted that these figures may not be exact, as some MPs could do more work during parliamentary recesses.
A Labour peer, Prem Sikka, has called for a complete ban on second jobs for MPs, arguing for politicians to focus solely on their parliamentary duties for the benefit of society. The analysis excluded those working as councillors, another form of elected position, finding that 27 MPs had worked about a day’s workweek as councillors. A majority of these have attended fewer than half of their council meetings since their election.
In total, out of 650 MPs, 236 have declared some form of outside earnings, cumulatively working 32,000 hours in the first 264 days of parliament. Of these, 105 have ongoing paid positions and 164 have received at least one one-off payment. The Labour Party, which previously advocated for a complete ban on second jobs, now focuses on paid advisory or consultancy roles.
History notes that in 2011, the Hansard Society reported that MPs from the 2010 intake estimated they worked an average of 69 hours a week.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/apr/21/mps-second-jobs-parliament-guardian-analysis
