#secondjobs

No one can justify an MP putting in a 40 hour week at his or her 'second' 9-to-5. Leaving only a few hours a week for representing your constituency simply doesn't cut it. It's disappointing that such candidates get through the selection process - but then that's the price of a party-political first-past-the-post system. The best that can be said is that at least they have less time to screw things up. 

But to ban MPs or any representative from having second jobs would also be hugely damaging. The preponderance of career politicians would increase, and those who do have experience of life outside the political bubble would be further discouraged from standing for office. 

Currently employees are merely entitled to 'reasonable' time off for public duties - but effectively the decision as to what is reasonable is entirely with the employer. Even if the employer does grant some time off, there is no obligation to pay. The result is a political class made up entirely of careerists, the independently wealthy and those who continue to do their 'second' job.

Banning second jobs would effectively take us back to the days of the Rotten Boroughs - represented only by career politicians and the wealthy. It would certainly not encourage broader participation in public life. There is a better solution.

Like raising a family, contributing to society through elected office should be supported by employers both financially (in cases where the elected office pays less than the 'second job') and with a right-to-return. A career break to represent a constituency benefits not only the person standing, but potentially the employer too. The electorate benefits considerably: many more candidates would come forward and those elected, knowing they always have a job to go back to, are under less pressure to tow the party line.