Chris Skidmore's secret side gig, Sir Ed's latest faux pas, Lord Cameron's bar session

Cashing in, jumping out

Chris Skidmore gave Labour a late Christmas present with his surprise resignation last week, forcing a costly and unnecessary by-election on both his former party, its activists and his former constituents.

While those on the left might be praising his so-called righteousness in opposing the Government’s eminently sensible plans to generate more home-made energy, those on the right have already smelled a rat given his numerous register of interests entries.

Despite having not yet left parliament, since 2022 Mr Skidmore registered a number of second jobs:

• £40,000 a year as a non-exec director of the Oxford International Group
• £6,600 as a researcher for Public Policy Projects Ltd
• £80,000 as an adviser to the Emissions Capture Company
• £6,614 as for work for the Global Insight Exchange
• £80,000 for chairing events and policy research for Global Insight Exchange

Given all this extra work, it may seem like his constituents have been without an MP for much more than the few days since he resigned from the Commons.

One thing always bugged Sir Arbuthnot, however – his job at Bath University.

Despite being announced in June 2023 that he was joining the esteemed institution as a Professor of Practice “to boost sustainability & climate research”, the job never appeared in his register of interests.

A co-conspirator even contacted the Commons Standards Commissioner about the gig, however was told he’d need proof that the gig was salaried before they could investigate.

Seems fair enough… however early this week the University of Bath’s spokesman informed yours truly: “Yes, this is a paid role and Chris Skidmore still holds it”.

So did the Rt “Honourable” Mr Skidmore in fact have yet another income source he failed to declare?

Despite having a week to respond to the allegations, his office failed to confirm or deny them.

At least he’s now scarpered before the Standards Commissioner can have his say…

Another Ed Davey faux pas?

Given Sir Ed’s crisis over the Post Office scandal, and claims of hypocrisy after his repeated demands for others to resign at the first whiff of crisis, you imagine he’s hoping no one will spot any other points of hypocrisy.

Back when Rishi Sunak was fined for not wearing a seatbelt, Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said it was more evident that the Tories were “taking the British people for fools”.

“Whilst they continue to behave as though it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else, this fine is a reminder that the Conservatives eventually get their comeuppance.”

All of this continued high horse-sitting begs the question of why, at the Lib Dems’ recent poster launch advertising ‘Ed Davey’s Tory Removals’, he failed to spot that his passenger in the advertising van… had failed to put his seatbelt on.

Lord Cameron’s bar session

While reports emerge that Lord Cameron has picked Britain’s poshest private members’ club – White’s – as his new post-work watering hole, word reaches Sir Arbuthnot that the new Foreign Secretary could be facing a bar session of a wholly different kind.

One senior Tory this week revealed their sincere belief that Lord Cameron may be hauled before the bar of the House of Commons.

This would be an historic moment in Parliament, given attempts to get Lord Mandelson and Lord Adonis into the Commons for scrutiny during Gordon Brown’s premiership eventually came to nought.

The speculation does give rise to the practical question of how exactly Lord Cameron would be able to answer questions, given the lack of anywhere at the bar for someone to place their ring binder of answers and attacks.

For those who enjoy interesting Commons history, the last commoner to be hauled in front of the bar was of this parish – John Juror of the Sunday Express, whose 1956 article condemning a new Government scheme giving MPs a generous petrol allocation sparked establishment uproar and was viewed as a contempt of Parliament.

Nigel Farage drug row surprises Labour adviser

In December, Nigel Farage voiced his “shock” after the parents of his daughter’s long-term boyfriend pleaded guilty to drug offences.

The scoop received a Sun splash, explaining that Mr Farage’s daughter, Izzy, had been in a relationship with Jack McKenna for two years before his parents confessed to drug offences after a raid on their home in Bromley, South East London.

The front page exclusive sparked a moment of confusion for long-time SW1 regulars, who associate the name Jack McKenna with Angela Rayner’s former head of communications.

Thankfully the former Labour advisor clarified a few days later: “I am not actually going out with Nigel Farage’s daughter. Thanks everyone for checking, especially my Dad”.