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 Washington and Sunderland West MP Sharon Hodgson's register

These are the figures for Washington and Sunderland West MP, Sharon Hodgson as of Monday, November 1.

Second jobs and additional earnings 

The Washington and Sunderland West MP, Sharon Hodgson is among just a handful of MPs in the North East who had barely any entries in the register.

That means that between April 2021 and November 1, there were no records of Ms Hodgson taking part in secondary employment or renting out homes.

Did she receive any gifts

However, the register states that she received one donation to the value of £3,457 from the Betting and Gaming Council on July 7, 2021.

The register says a ticket including hospitality to a football match at Wembley Stadium was donated, which Ms Hodgson accepted.

Does she employ any family members

Meanwhile, the only other entry in the register confirmed one family member, husband Alan Hodgson had been employed as Office Manager, paid from parliamentary expenses.

The Northern Echo approached Sharon Hodgson for comment.

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