Osborne may have broken rules over new role as 135,000 sign petition urging 'CHOOSE A JOB'
MORE than 135,000 people have signed a petition calling for George Osborne to ‘pick a job’ after the former Chancellor vowed to continue his role as the MP for Tatton while working as the new editor of the Evening Standard.
George Osborne addresses the Evening Standard newsroom
With mounting criticism over the appointment of Mr Osborne to edit the newspaper despite never having worked as a journalist, more than 135,000 people have signed the petition since the news of his new job emerged on Friday morning.
The petition, set up on site 38 Degrees, calls for the former Chancellor to “stand down as an MP or quit your job as editor of the Evening Standard”.
Created by Tatton constituent Diana Simkins, the petition says: “George Osborne has just accepted a job as editor of the Evening Standard. But he’s already got a full-time job as an MP, representing tens of thousands of people who live in his constituency.
“It’s not appropriate for someone to be a member of the government and also control a huge amount of the media. George Osborne needs to pick a job.
“The Evening Standard newspaper said its publication schedule ‘will enable Mr Osborne to edit the paper and continue to fulfil his other commitments, including as an MP; giving him the time to vote and contribute in parliament in the afternoon after the paper has gone to print, and be in his constituency.’”
It’s not appropriate for someone to be a member of the government and also control a huge amount of the media
Ms Simkins adds that “no other full-time job would let you just work afternoons”, and says the Tatton constituents should be Mr Osborne’s “number one priority”.
The news comes after it emerged the former Chancellor may have broken post-ministerial rules by taking his new role at the Evening Standard.
After being ousted from the Cabinet by Theresa May last July, Osborne was subject to a two-year grace period, during which any other jobs or employment they undertake must be approved by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA).
Former ministers are supposed to wait for the committee’s guidance before accepting and publicising a new role, but Mr Osborne did not wait for his appointment to be approved by ACoBA, according to Sky News.
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ACoBA could veto Mr Osborne’s appointment, although the committee has never done this in its history.
The controversy surround Mr Osborne’s new job continues with the parliamentary Committee on Standards planning an official review after the former Chancellor confirmed he intends to edit the newspaper alongside his role as the Conservative MP for Tatton.
Critics have suggested there could be a conflict of interests and some MPs have demanded tighter rules on MPs’ additional jobs.