Can George Osborne Be Editor Of The Evening Standard And Remain An MP?

This is a topic that's divided opinion amongst MP's, George Osborne's constituents and the general public. For those that don't know, MP George Osborne (Former Chancellor) has been appointed the new editor of the London Evening Standard. The Standard is a free daily newspaper published from Monday to Friday. It is the capital's regional paper.

There has been much controversy surrounding Osborne's appointment. Many Labour and Tory MP's have called for Osborne to resign as MP for Tatton. They feel as though he would be unable to effectively represent his constituents and run a daily newspaper at the same time. This would also be in addition to his other jobs which according to the Guardian include one day’s work a week for fund manager BlackRock, 15 speaking engagements in the last year, working for a US thinktank and a book deal.

According to an article in Russia Today it has been found that the majority of Osborne's constituents are proclaiming that he should resign as MP for Tatton if he wishes to become the editor of the Evening Standard. In a poll by Survation, up to 66 percent of voters in Tatton said that he should choose whether to hold his seat in the constituency, or go ahead with his new appointment as the Standard’s editor.

According to The Mirror Labour MP Wes Streeting has come out and said, “It’s time George Osborne did the decent thing and resigned as an MP. Pretending he can edit a major newspaper for Londoners while properly representing his Cheshire constituency is an insult to the people he represents – and to MPs who take the job seriously. Being an MP is a full-time job. So is editing a newspaper like the Standard.”

Other MP's have been supportive of Osborne taking up the editorial role. According to The Guardian James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East said, “MPs have historically had outside jobs. If he can combine being an MP with running the economy he should manage editing a local paper.”

Jeremy Corbyn on the other hand has branded Osborne's new job as ludicrous in a video released by the BBC. He claims that Osborne has taken multi-tasking to a ridiculous new level and cannot properly represent his constituents.

So what has Osborne had to say on the matter? In a letter addressed to his constituents he said: “There is a long tradition of politics and journalism mixing. One of the greatest newspaper editors ever, CP Scott, combined editing the Manchester Guardian with being an MP. In our age, politicians from Iain Macleod and Richard Crossman to, of course, Boris Johnson have combined the role of editor and Member of Parliament.”

According to The Guardian the Ethics Committee assessing his new role are thought to be actively considering a call for the former chancellor to delay or decline the role. The committee is concerned that a conflict of interests could occur.

Amidst all of this is also the idea that Osborne is not deserving of this role. He has never run a newspaper and has no experience doing so. Surely a journalist should be in charge of a newspaper? It appears that qualified and hardworking journalists have been swept aside in order for the ex-chancellor to become the new editor. What kind of example is this setting for younger people who are working hard to achieve their dreams? The man has no expertise in the field and it appears as though he has been able to walk into the job purely because of his status. It undermines journalism and politics.

For now it looks like Osborne needs to put his constituents first or resign as an MP.

-Noah Barco