STANDARDS in public life have come under intense scrutiny in the last fortnight, leaving public confidence at an all-time low.

Many MPs have second jobs, with some, like Sir Geoffrey Cox coining in vast sums on top of their already high salaries.

Freebies, cash for answering questions and donations from the private sector are also the source of deep concern.

FULL LIST: The North East MPs raking in thousands in donations and second jobs

This week, The Northern Echo lifts the lid on where MPs in our region get their income as part of our The Money Trail investigation tracing the cash behind our MPs.

We tracked the cash trail using the Register of Members' Financial Interests, and while there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing, there are some surprising results.

We're publishing the records held for every MP in the North East and North Yorkshire to help you understand how your politician compares.

What exactly is on the register

There are ten main categories on the register, which is maintained and updated by the Parliamentary for Commissioner for Standards, and require an MP to declare, where appropriate.

MPs in England must declare additional paid employment (second jobs), donations, gifts, hospitality and any homes where the value is more than £100,000 and/or provides rental income of more than £10,000 a year.

They must also declare any shares they have which amount to more than 15 percent of the issues share capital of that company or more than 15 percent of a partnership, while they must declare any shares valued more than £70,000.

When it comes to family, MPs are required to declare whether any members are employed and receive more than £700 in a calendar year as this comes from taxpayers' money (parliamentary expenses).

MPs are also required to declare the details of any family members involved in "lobbying," which is when an individual tries to persuade someone in Parliament to support a specific policy or campaign.

What's on Scarborough and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill's register 

These are the figures for Conservative Scarborough and Whitby MP, Robert Goodwill as of Monday, November 1.

He does not have any secondary employment

The Conservative MP is not recorded as having any second jobs nor did he receive any additional income from work, according to the register.

Does he have a home of significant value

However, the register says that Mr Goodwill has a number of properties in North Yorkshire, Teesside and London, which are either above £100,000 in value or each yield an annual of rent of more than £10,000.

The register states he has a property on a farm near York, along with three industrial units in the same area, of which two were being rented out as of January 2020.

Meanwhile, Mr Goodwill has a further four houses in the Teesside area and owns a flat in London.

Does he have any shares

The register also contains information of companies where an MP has more than a 15 percent issued share capital.

Mr Goodwill is involved in Mowthorpe (UK) Ltd, which is defined as being a cemetery company, and 76 Warwick Way Ltd, a company which owns a property freehold.

Extra entries on the register

Mr Goodwill has just one entry recorded as miscellaneous, which include declarations of involvement in local businesses where they may not receive an income.

He is recorded as being an unremunerated managing director of Mowthorpe (UK) Ltd, a farmer, of which he draws no money from the farm. 

He has also been in an unpaid role as a Trustee of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust from June 15, 2021.

He employs one family member to work for him as MP

According to the register, Mr Goodwill currently employs his wife, Maureen Goodwill, who works as his Parliamentary Assistant and Caseworker.

What Robert Goodwill said

Mr Goodwill told The Echo that the details on his register were self-explanatory and that the family had resided on the North Yorkshire farm since 1850.

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