YouGov finds strong support for stopping MPs have 2nd jobs pic.twitter.com/FPshaSczKw

— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) February 25, 2015

Cameron’s right but it’s a hard sell

Ed Miliband, inevitably given what’s happened this week, made MPs outside interests his primary focus at PMQs. The Labour approach is to control second jobs and there is a vote tonight on the issue.

The question this far out from an election is whether this might resonate as we saw with the expenses saga ahead of 2009. For the Tories to be seen to be blocking it might not be good electoral politics.

On this I believe the Cameron approach is correct – MPs with outside interests do add to the overall quality of MPs and the house would be poorer if it was confined to career politicians. Judging by the polling I am in the minority.

No doubt Labour will try to keep this going and I expect a commitment to ban MPs second jobs in the Labour manifesto.

Mike Smithson

For 11 years viewing politics from OUTSIDE the Westminster bubble

For latest polling and political betting news follow @MSmithsonPB