Top Tories tricked into asking for £10,000 to work for fake Korean company
Two top Tory MPs unwittingly asked to be paid £10,000 a day to work for a fake company, according to an upcoming investigation.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the former chancellor whose mini-budget cratered the economy, also agreed to work for ‘£10,000 a day’ for the phoney firm in February.
Matt Hancock, meanwhile, asked for £1,500 an hour to act as a consultant for a mock South Korean company set up by Led by Donkeys the following month.
Amid a cost-of-living crisis, 10.4% inflation and sky-high food, fuel, rent and more costs, the campaign group claimed to be interviewing the two for lucrative roles on an international advisory board on top of their £84,100 MP salary.
According to a trailer released by the group today of its investigation, Kwarteng attended a preliminary meeting at his parliamentary office saying he did not need a ‘king’s ransom’ to be hired.
‘I would say, as an MP, I don’t need to… earn a king’s ransom, but I’m looking, I wouldn’t do anything less than, for about $10,000,’ he said, before clarifying it is in pounds.
The interviewer tells Kwarteng the company is looking ‘into 8,000 to 12,000 pounds a day’ for six board meetings.
‘How many days a month is that?’ Kwarteng replied, saying: ‘We’re not a million miles off.’
They were interviewed over Zoom by a woman claiming to be the senior executive of Hanseong Consulting in Seoul, South Korea, which was hoping to ‘expand into the UK and Europe’.
Kwarteng told her: ‘Particularly if I’m going to Korea, I would expect to be compensated for that.’
‘Yes definitely,’ the mock interviewer replied. ‘We will arrange all of the compensations.’
‘I’m £10,000 a day and I’d invoice it each day, I wouldn’t expect a regular retainer,’ he added, ‘but we could do it that way as well.’
Hancock similarly charged an eye-watering £1,500 per hour – which is more than double what an average Brit earns in a week.
When asked for his daily rate, the former health secretary said: ‘I do, yes. It’s 10,000 sterling.’
He was previously paid £320,000 to take part in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, for which he lost the whip.
Chair of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady also had an online meeting with the fake firm from his parliamentary office.
‘I don’t know about a daily rate, I suppose seeing your approach and the kind of expectations you have, I was thinking something like £60,000?,’ he said.
‘As an annual rate. If you think that’s far too cheap, let me know,’ he said with a smile.
According to The Guardian, Led By Donkeys approached 20 MPs from the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties.
Five agreed to be interviewed, but one disconnected the call early after growing suspicious.
MPs are free to take second jobs if they are not ministers – they must publicly declare any additional income they make.
Tory lawmakers have made a thumping £15,200,000 from their second jobs since the last general election. Jobs can include consultancy or being a lawyer.
They’re free to make meetings such as the one arranged by Led By Donkeys, and the three senior MPs all referred to their obligation to their constituents.
A spokesperson for Hancock said: ‘This failed attempt at entrapment in fact shows Matt acted within the letter and the spirit of the rules, making it crystal clear form the outset that his parliamentary and constituency duties are his primary responsibility for now.
‘Matt is leaving Parliament at the next election, so it is entirely to be expected that he should have exploratory conversations in the meantime.’
Sir Brady said that, having decided to leave the House of Commons, he has received a ‘number of approaches regarding future opportunities’.
He confirmed he had the meeting with the bogus company, adding: ‘I made it clear that any arrangement would have to be completely transparent and that whilst a Member of Parliament, I would only act within the terms of the Code of Conduct.
‘I also made it clear that whilst I could be flexible in attending international meetings in person, this would be subject to some important votes or commitments in Westminster.’
Metro.co.uk contacted Kwasi Kwarteng for comment.
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