George Osborne criticised for 'disrespect' of rules over newspaper job

George Osborne set an "unhelpful example" by taking the job as Evening Standard editor - without official permission from the jobs watchdog, MPs have said.

They condemned the parliamentary committee responsible for deciding on whether ex-ministers can take outside jobs as "toothless" and said it must be overhauled to restore public trust.

In a highly critical report, the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said former ministers and senior civil servants should not take up private sectors jobs related to their government roles for two years after leaving office.

It said the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) must be given tougher powers to enforce the restriction and stop the rules being flouted.

MPs said: "It has become part of the culture in public life that individuals are entitled to capitalise on their public sector experience when they move into the private sector - the 'new normal' - but there is a lack of clear boundaries defining what behaviour is or is not acceptable."

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They said Mr Osborne's refusal to wait for a decision before accepting the job at the newspaper showed a "disrespect for Acoba and for the business appointment rules and sets an unhelpful example to others in public life who may be tempted to do the same".

Mr Osborne, who has announced he will not be standing to retain his Tatton seat in the General Election, also earns £640,000 a year for one day a week's work as an advisor at fund manager BlackRock.

In the last year he has made £800,000 from 15 speaking engagements, including at City and Wall Street banks.

He also receives a £120,212 allowance as Kissinger fellow at the McCain Institute for a year and has an unpaid role as the chairman of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Critics claim that former ministers taking on such posts create conflict of interest.

MPs said: "The only justification for a minister or civil servant taking public or private sector employment in a field for which they had responsibility is where they might be returning to or continuing to work in an occupation or profession where they already had an established track record and experience."

Mr Osborne was not the only former minister to come under fire.

Former Liberal Democrat energy secretary Sir Ed Davey was criticised for taking up a job in the energy sector when he left office and Mr Osborne's former adviser, Rupert Harrison, who also joined BlackRock.

Sir Ed will be running to try to recapture his Kingston and Surbiton seat in the June election.