Missing Geoffrey Cox 'contemptuous of struggling pensioners'

More than 24,000 in Torridge and Tavistock set to lose winter fuel payments

Constituents have piled in to attack MP Sir Geoffrey Cox for missing a crucial vote on winter fuel payments because he was working as a barrister abroad. Millions of pensioners, including more than 24,000 in Torridge and Tavistock, are set to lose payments this year in a cost-cutting exercise by the new Labour Government. Sir Geoffrey had previously set up a petition on his Facebook page calling for Labour to reverse its decision, yet when the vote came to the House of Commons, he was not present. It has now been reported in the press that he was in Mauritius, earning money in his second job as a barrister. 

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Torridge and Tavistock, Phil Hutty, said:

‘This behaviour reeks of not only of contempt for struggling pensioners, but of hypocrisy. If Sir Geoffrey had really cared about the issue of winter fuel payments, he would have attended Parliament and used his voice to attack Labour’s ill-thought-out policy, as Lib Dem MPs did.’

Last July, Devon MP Richard Foord highlighted Sir Geoffrey’s absenteeism in Parliament because of what he called ‘well-paid moonlighting’ abroad, saying that during one period in the last Parliament, he did not contribute to a single debate in 18 months. 

Phil Hutty continued:

‘Yet again the residents of Torridge and Tavistock are being short-changed by a part-time MP. The Conservative party is in disarray, and it is the Lib Dems who are providing the real opposition in Parliament. It is time for Labour to clamp down on second jobs and MPs who derive excessive earnings from outside interests whilst being paid to represent their constituents.’