TATTON MP George Osborne has promised to continue serving constituents despite taking on a new city role worth a reported £200,000 a year.

The news of Mr Osborne’s new role as senior adviser to BlackRock Investment Institute to the assets management firm came on Friday, January 20.

Following the announcement, Mr Osborne confirmed he is looking forward to working with BlackRock, while carrying on as MP for Tatton.

He said: "It's a chance for me to work part-time with one of the world's most respected firms and a major employer in Britain.

"Of course, many MPs also do work outside Parliament - and every Chancellor has. I'll only be working one day a week with Blackrock, while being chancellor was more or less a full time job. 

"So the majority of my time will be devoted to being an MP, representing my constituents in Tatton and promoting the northern powerhouse. 

"My goal is to go on learning, gaining new experience and get an even better understanding of the world."

Tatton Tories have also moved to assure residents that the former chancellor will continue to give as much time to constituents as before.

Hayley Wells-Bradshaw, Cheshire East Councillor for Knutsford Ward and a member of the Tatton Conservatives, said: “It’s quite a normal thing for an ex Chancellor to do. It’s a one day a week commitment.

“He can still do this work and give people the benefit of his expertise, and still give more time to Tatton which he has already been doing.

“I don’t think it’s unreasonable for him to take this one day a week . He is trying to make the most of his expertise for the benefit of the economy.”

Rod Menlove, Cheshire East Councillor for Wilmslow East added: “I think George clearly is a man of considerable experience in financial matters – indeed he has been attending Davos recently.

“I am sure he will be a valuable asset for the company he is joining and I wish him well.

“I am sure he will continue to be a good constituency MP as has been his track record.”

But Gareth Wilson, chair of Tatton Lib Dems, said it was ‘absolutely breathtaking’. 

“How can an MP effectively handle the casework of over 70,000 people, be present in the constituency to meet constituents, attend Parliament for crucial votes and work for a City Bank,” he said.

“That ‘one day a week’ should be spent helping and meeting in person the people George is supposed to be representing. Any Tatton constituent who has ever tried to arrange a meeting with him will know how difficult this is. Perhaps he’ll give back 20 per cent of his MP’s salary?

“Being an MP should be an honour and an act of vocational national service - taking second jobs should be banned.”

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