Conservative MP Ben Everitt paid by accounting body which voted against tax on consultants
A conservative MP who spoke out in Parliament against extensions to a tax law on consultants also earned thousands of pounds himself from an accounting group that lobbied against the tax, according to reports.
Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, was paid nearly £14,000 for 60 hours of work for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), according to Financial News, which first reported the story.
Everitt’s conflict of interests is the latest to come to light in a string of recent scandals involving MPs holding paid consultancy roles.
The news comes a week after MPs voted to ban themselves from taking up paid positions as political consultants or lobbyists following the Owen Paterson sleaze scandal.
“As a professional body serving the public interest, ICAEW will routinely provide technical briefing material for parliamentarians and civil servants on major issues within its area of expertise,” an ICAEW spokesperson told Morning Wire
“This Representation by our Tax Faculty on IR35 in June of last year was treated in this way and published on our website at the time, and remains freely available and accessible,” the spokesperson added.
Morning Wire understands Everitt concluded his ICAEW contract in January this year.