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MPs earned £5m from second jobs during lockdown

Exclusive: Analysis by openDemocracy finds MPs topped up wages with money from tax havens, banks, companies that won COVID contracts, and more

MPs earned £5m from second jobs during lockdown
Former prime minister Theresa May received £616,000 in speaking fees over the past 12 months | Paul Davey / Alamy Stock Photo
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MPs earned almost £5m from second jobs and side hustles during the first year of the pandemic, openDemocracy can reveal.

While huge swathes of the population were furloughed, some parliamentarians topped up their income with paid advice to businesses on COVID policy, while others took jobs with firms that won test-and-trace contracts.

In all, more than a third of MPs reported additional earnings above their standard £82,000 salary since the first lockdown began on 23 March last year.