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 Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith's register

These are the figures for the Conservative Skipton and Ripon MP, Julian Smith as of Monday, November 1.

He receives an additional £140,000 per year in secondary employment

Mr Smith receives thousands of pounds every month in a secondary role advising on business development to a London-based company.

He has so far received payments from Ryse Hydrogen Ltd for his work in that role, which pays £60,000 plus VAT a year, for around 20 hours of work a year.

The register shows that this arrangement came in on August 1, 2021 and is set to last until July 31, 2022.

Mr Smith also receives fees of £2,000 per month plus VAT for advising a company called Simply Blue Management, based in Newquay.

He has been doing this since January 1, 2021, with around one to two hours worth of work need per month. He is expected to continue this role until December 31, 2021.

In addition, Mr Smith is also providing work for MJM Martine Ltd, based in Northern Ireland, where he receives £60,000 plus VAT a year for 30 to 40 hours of work a year.

He first provided work as an external adviser on March 17, 2021 and is expected to continue until March 16, 2022.

Did he receive any gifts, benefits or hospitality

Mr Smith has received an honorary membership for life of the Carlton Club.

Does he have a home worth more than £100k or receiving more than £10k a year in rent?

The register says that Mr Adams has a number of properties, with three residential homes in London.

Mr Smith was contacted for comment.

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