Breadth of experience in Commons a good thing, says PM amid Osborne jobs furore

Theresa May has defended George Osborne over his decision to become a newspaper editor on top of his parliamentary duties.

The Prime Minister sacked the Tatton MP as chancellor when she took the keys to No 10 and he returned to the backbenches.

But since then he has racked up six outside jobs, include the demanding editorship of London's Evening Standard.

A sleaze watchdog has launched a consultation on reforming rules on MPs' second jobs in the wake of Mr Osborne's latest appointment.

But Mrs May said many MPs have demanding outside jobs in the health service, Army and police.

She said: "MPs throughout time and continuing now have often had other roles and responsibilities and jobs as well as being an MP.

"We have doctors, dentists, nurses; we have reservists, special constables in the House of Commons. That brings a breadth of experience into the House of Commons.

"I think generally a breadth of experience in the House of Commons is a good thing."

Conservative former minister Dan Poulter is a practising GP and Sir Paul Beresford is a dentist.

Mr Osborne takes up his Evening Standard job on May 2.

The former chancellor earns £650,000 a year as an adviser to US investment firm BlackRock, chairs the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, is a Kissinger Fellow and has become a face on the lucrative after-dinner speech circuit.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life is reviewing 2009 guidance which says additional employment is allowed within "reasonable limits'' and the findings will be reported to MPs in June.

Mrs May has been urged to strip Mr Osborne of the Tory whip to avoid a conflict of interest between his editorship and being an MP.