George Osborne defends his SIX jobs in desperate plea to Cheshire residents ahead of Friday’s crunch meeting
Ex-Chancellor claims he wants to be part of the future direction of Britain after leaving Downing Street
GEORGE OSBORNE issued a plea to his Cheshire constituents ahead of a local showdown on Friday over his six jobs.
The ex-Chancellor defended his controversial editorship of the London Evening Standard.
“Now I have left Downing Street I want to continue to take part in the debate about the future direction of our country,” he wrote in an open letter.
“No longer being Chancellor gives me time to do that in other ways - yes, in the Chamber of the House of Commons; but also as the editor of a major newspaper.”
And he insisted: “There is a long tradition of politics and journalism mixing.”
“One of the greatest newspaper editors ever, CP Scott, combined editing the Manchester Guardian with being an MP,” he added.
“In our age, politicians from Iain Macleod and Richard Crossman to, of course, Boris Johnson have combined the role of editor and Member of Parliament.”
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News of Mr Osborne’s appointment at the helm of London’s evening paper has been greeted with anger in some quarters.
Tory MPs hope he will address them on Wednesday at the meeting of the Tories powerful backbench 1922 Committee, and local Tories in his Tatton constituency have demanded answers at a crunch meeting this Friday.
Mr Osborne will also be paid £650,000 per year as a part time adviser to global investment firm Blackrock.
This came on top of the £730,000 he has banked from lucrative after dinner speeches since being sacked last July by Theresa May.