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 Labour Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah's register

These are the figures for Newcastle Central MP, Chi Onwurah from Monday, November 1.

She does not have any secondary employment but did take part in surveys

Ms Onwurah did not have any records for secondary employment, but did receive hundreds in payments for surveys and interviews, with all fees paid to charity.

The following payments were received from Ipsos Mori, of Thomas More Square in London, over the past year.

- October 13, 2020, payment of £250 for a survey on August 24, 2020 taking an hour.

- July 27, 2021, a payment of £275 expected for a survey which took around 75 minutes.

There is a payment of £200 expected from Edelman Southside of Victoria Street in London for a survey completed on July 27, 2020 taking 45 minutes.

There is also a payment £150 expected from CM Monitor (BritainThinks) Ltd of Metherell Gard in Looe for a research interview on August 10, 2021, taking 30 mins. 

And there is payment of £120 expected from YouGov, of Featherstone Street, in London for a survey on July 22, 2021, taking 30 minutes.

She received one gift

Ms Onwurah received one gift from the British Phonographic Industry for a ticket to the BRITS with hospitality at a value of £900 on May 11, 2021.

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

The register states Ms Onwurah is responsible for a house in Northumberland and has a holiday home in Portugal.

Extra entries on the register

Ms Onwurah 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 chartered engineer, who is currently non-practicising.

From December 15, 2015, she is the Honorary Vice President of ACTSA (Action for South Africa)

From July 6, 2016, she is Director of the Foundation for Science & Technology. 

And from From August 4, 2020, she is a Member of the Board of the Hamilton Commission, a standalone piece of research in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, that will work to improve the representation of black people in UK motorsport. 

The Northern Echo approached Chi Onwurah for comment.

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