National media have reported on Congleton MP Fiona Bruce earning £400,000 in a year from her second job, on top of her payment as an MP.

It comes as Boris Johnson's government backed plans to curb MP's second jobs on Wednesday, in a row triggered by the resignation of MP Owen Paterson.

The yearly salary for an MP as of April 1 2020 is £81,932. This means Fiona Bruce earned this much in the last financial year for her work as Congleton's elected MP.

On top of this Fiona is reported to have earned four-hundred-grand, taking her yearly earnings for last year to at least £481,932.

This is from a role at her Warrington-based solicitors Fiona Bruce & Co LLP, where her current job title is a 'Senior Partner'.

The figures are according to national news outlets The Times and Daily Mirror.

In the Mirror article which can be read here, it places Fiona at number four in the 'MP second job rich list'.

It reads: "Lawyer Fiona Bruce is the Prime Minister's envoy on the human right to freedom of religion or belief."

"The Congleton MP has continued to work for her own Cheshire based firm, Fiona Bruce and Co LLP, since being elected in 2010.

"Ms Bruce said the four largest of the 18 payments she listed were "almost entirely tax payments not receipts by me" but "for technical reasons have to be declared."

The Times claimed Fiona 'has earned almost £1.1 million' since she was elected eleven years ago.

Congleton Nub News has contacted our town's MP for further comment, as well as her company.

Both Fiona Bruce MP and Fiona Bruce & Co LLP did not respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, 297 MPs voted for the Opposition Day: Strengthening Standards in Public Life: The Prime Minister's Amendment Bill. Nobody voted no, the rest of the 353 MPs abstained.

Most but not all Conservatives - including Fiona - backed Downing Street plans to restrict outside work to 'reasonable limits' and prohibit parliamentary advice or consultancy,

Final details will be clarified in due course, but there is no indication this will affect Fiona's outside earnings.

The parliamentary vote follows a string of recent incidents and accusations of 'Tory Sleaze', which started with Conservative MPs initially voting to back suspended MP Owen Paterson, who eventually resigned over his lobbying scandal.

Unlike Mr Paterson, whom triggered conversation over MPs standards after using his rights as an MP to boost his business interest, Fiona has not actively appeared to pursue new business opportunities while in office, rather continuing her pre-existing business which predates her term in office.

In defence of Fiona, she has worked for her solicitor firm for decades before she became an MP. She founded her company in 1988, 22 years before she became an MP.

Her firm has been lasting for 33 years, and she has been Congleton's MP for a third of that term.

The Sunday Mirror also claimed Fiona has received '£100,000 a year on average over 11 years.

Most of these earnings are believed to come from taxable profits Fiona has to declare, rather than receipts for her consultancy work, but it is higher than most MPs known earnings.

While Congleton Nub News could not get the 64-year-old MP to comment on her earnings, we did receive a reply from her opposition parties.

The Liberal Democrats were first to respond, who finished third in the 2019 General Election, with 6,026 votes, to Fiona's majority of 33,747.

Councillor Philip Williams, Chair of Congleton Constituency Liberal Democrats said: "It has become clear in recent weeks that the second jobs of some MPs has created a conflict of interest. In some instances the interests of constituents have been adversely affected by the time committed by their MPs to work outside of Parliament.

"We welcome the proposed ban on MPs accepting second jobs apart from "public service;" roles or professions requiring registration.

"We note that Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats has resigned from the consultancy work which funded specialist treatment for his son's special needs.

"We urge other elected representatives to follow Sir Ed's lead and not in future carry out any paid consultancy work in addition to their Parliamentary duties.

"We also note, with little surprise given his track record, the Prime Minister's sudden U-turn on the issue as a blatant attempt to blind-side the Opposition and deflect attention from the hypocrisy that sadly seems systemic within his own administration.

"We welcome the comments by former Prime Ministers Theresa May and John Major which highlight and challenge the low standards to which the current Conservative government so regularly stoops."

Congleton Labour, who's candidate came second to Fiona in 2019's Congleton constituency election with 15,186 votes, also provided the following statement:

"MPs should be devoted to their constituents full-time and parliament should be free from paid advocacy, outside interests and corruption. That's why Labour introduced a motion to ban second jobs for MPs and strengthen standards in public life.

"Our Conservative MP for Congleton, Fiona Bruce, however voted against this. But it's no wonder since Mrs Bruce is one of the biggest earners with work outside of Parliament, earning almost £1.1 million since 2010.

"Being the MP for Congleton should be a full-time job, the people of Alsager, Congleton, Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Sandbach and everywhere in-between deserve that.

"But unfortunately that doesn't seem to be what the people of this constituency are getting."

Congleton Conservatives, Fiona's party, which conduct grassroots Conservative campaigning in Congleton, have also been contacted for comment. They have not yet responded.

According to figures from The Guardian, 90 out of 360 Conservative MPs have second jobs compared with five of Labour's 199 MPs and two each from the SNP and the Lib Dems.

Congleton: You can learn more about our town's MP via the blog on her website.

You can learn more about Fiona's solicitors on their website.

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