The Facts
- Former UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, as well as former chancellor of the exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, reportedly agreed to work for a fake South Korean company for approximately £10K a day as part of a sting operation by the political group "Led By Donkeys."
- An anti-Brexit group, Led By Donkeys created a website as well as a "fake virtual office" in the South Korean capital of Seoul for what would be called "Hanseong Consulting." The group approached 20 lawmakers from different parties to ask if they would join the fake company's international advisory board.
- The group contacted 16 Conservative lawmakers, two Labour lawmakers, one Liberal Democrat lawmaker, and one independent lawmaker — with five attending subsequent Zoom calls. Led by Donkeys released a trailer for their "undercover investigation" this weekend, which also included legislators Sir Graham Brady, Stephen Hammond, and Gavin Williamson.
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The Spin
Left narrative
For every reasonable case made for politicians having second jobs, there are a hundred other examples that should simply be crimes. Unsurprisingly, Tory sleaze, once again, is back in the headlines. A simple explanation may be that many Conservative ministers of parliament know that they will be out of a job by the time of the next election and are looking for a lifeboat. Something must change in order to rid Westminster of such abject corruption.
Right narrative
While some may criticize the ability of members of parliament to hold a second job, the reality is, they are often useful means of informing debate and committee work. At the end of the day, it's up to members of parliament to decide how the body is run. If the public has a genuine issue with the topic, there is always the option to vote for a party or representative that aligns with those views at the next election.
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