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 Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell's register

These are the figures for Labour Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell from Monday, November 1.

She does not have any secondary employment

Ms McKinnell did not have any records for secondary employment, but did receive hundreds in payments for participation in surveys.

The following payments were received from YouGov, of Featherstone Street in London, over the past year.

- April 30, 2021, a payment of £100 for a survey taking an hour.

- April 30, 2021, a further payment of £100 for a survey taking an hour.

- July 27, 2021, a payment of £120 for a survey taking an hour.

And on September 6, 2021, a payment of £120 for a survey taking an hour.

How many donations have been received via the party

An amount of £1,756 was donated by UNISON Northern of Pilgrim Street in Newcastle towards the funding of a leaflet.

Does she own any homes over £100,000 or rent any for £10,000 a year

The register states Ms McKinnell is the joint owner of a residential rented property in Northumberland.

Extra entries on the register

Ms McKinnell has the following entries recorded as miscellaneous, which include declarations of involvement in local businesses where they may not receive an income.

She is recorded as a solicitor, who is currently non-practicising.

The Northern Echo contacted Catherine McKinnell for comment.

--

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054