Spotlight falls on top dog Milburn’s earnings

May 31 2009 by William Green, Sunday Sun

LABOUR big beast Alan Milburn could have earned hundreds of thousands of pounds working for FIVE private firms on top of being Darlington MP.

As an adviser to Pepsi, the former Health Secretary is paid up to £25,000 and up to another £35,000 to advise private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital.

He also earns up to £30,000 to advise Lloydspharmacy Healthcare, according to the register of MPs interests.

And he is an adviser to healthcare firm Covidien and a non-executive director of Diaverum Healthcare AB, although earnings from these jobs are not disclosed on the register of MPs interests.

But under new Parliamentary rules, MPs will have to disclose full details of such jobs in the future. They currently earn £64,766 in Parliamentary salaries annually.

The Darlington MP appears to have worked for the companies for several years, and earned more than £100,000 for media work and £35,000 for speaking engagements since 2003.

Asked if he could justify being an MP with so many jobs, Mr Milburn said: “Any outside interests I have – whether charitable or business – are secondary to my job as Darlington’s MP.

“I am proud to represent Darlington. I’ve worked hard for the town and will continue to do so.”

Mr Milburn also said he does not lobby Government on behalf of companies he works for.

He said: “In line with current rules I declare outside earnings in the Register of Members Interests.

“When the proposed new rules, including about time spent on outside interests, come into operation I will obviously declare that too.”

As part of his work for private companies, the Labour MP sits on advisory boards which typically meet four times a year for half a day, although in the case of Covidien it has only ever met once and no future meetings are scheduled. The Labour MP also confirmed his family home was in Stocksfield, Northumberland, and his second home was in London, on which he claimed Parliamentary allowances.