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This is not a way to close down a row that’s been raging for more than a fortnight. It means the debate now becomes about whether MPs are actually so part-time that they’re able to do other jobs that take up a couple of days a week — and if this is the case, then why is anyone suggesting that their basic pay might have to rise to stop them wanting these outside interests?
Within the party, it only exacerbates the angry divide between the marginal seat MPs who think their job is more than full-time as they try to maintain their profile in their constituencies and parliament — and their safe seat colleagues who do indeed have much more time on their hands. ‘Why are we still arguing about this?’ fumes one red wall MP. They explain that many of their colleagues decided not to prolong the row by talking about it to journalists — only to watch the Prime Minister make things worse once again. ‘We can’t be a party that goes on about the “people’s priorities” and then gets upset about jobs for the boys.’ But that’s precisely what’s going to happen for a good while longer, not least because the Prime Minister hasn’t really worked out what sort of jobs he wants to stop.
Because you read about boris johnson
Also by Isabel Hardman
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