MP Howard slated for £5k a WEEK pay packet

Conservative MP Michael Howard is under fire this week after it was disclosed he earned nearly £20,000 last month ALONE from non-Parliamentary activities. The cash came from a range of jobs and company directorships - some paying over £1,000 an HOUR.

On top of these payments and his salary as an MP, Mr Howard claimed more than £17,000 for gardening and maintenance expenses for his second home in Hythe, as disclosed in the Daily Telegraph earlier this year.

Local campaigner Brian Wright is furious at the news. He said:

"Being an MP should be a full time job. To claim to represent the area but then earn £¼ million a year extra from highly paid directorships, writing jobs and elsewhere shows his priorities are elsewhere.

"I believe a local MP should live locally, only claim reasonable expenses and have no other paid job other than that as MP."