Questions raised about absent MP

Revelations that Sir Geoffrey Cox has taken on a new job worth £400,000 per year, whilst continuing to draw his salary as MP for Torridge and West Devon, have rightly attracted anger and indignation on social media, with constituents complaining about a poor record of attendance in Parliament and letters which have gone unanswered.

Newspaper investigations have revealed that the high-flying QC and former Attorney General has been advising the government of the British Virgin Islands in relation to accusations of corruption by the Foreign Office and voting by proxy whilst in the Caribbean.

Commenting on the news, Steve Middleton, Chair of Torridge and West Devon Lib Dems, said:

'The people of Torridge and West Devon voted for a full-time MP, not a part time one. We expect him to be in Parliament speaking up for us on issues like the housing crisis, the threats to our rivers and coastline from sewage, representing the interests of farmers and consumers on trade deals, and listening to the concerns of constituents in this low-wage area. Instead, he has been in the Caribbean defending the right of an overseas territory to deprive the British taxpayer of income. He is not only not working for his constituents, but he is not even working in the interests of the British Government! It is an outrage that we should have an absentee MP who is more interested in defending tax evasion than serving his constituents. The people of Torridge and West Devon deserve better.'

Prospective councillor Graham Reed, who is standing in the forthcoming West Devon by-election, added:

'Geoffrey Cox has consistently voted to reduce central funding of local government and against more power for local councils. Like all Conservatives, he does not believe in local democracy. It is up to the public to vote them out.'

Records show that Sir Geoffrey has consistently been the highest-earning MP since entering the Commons in 2005.