The debate over MPs taking second jobs has been reignited in the last few weeks with a prominent former chancellor taking a full time job as a newspaper editor. This is a debate that has been ongoing for some time but is not one that finds easy resolution.

At the heart of the problem lies the terms under which MPs are employed. Most people who have a job take on their roles under a contract of employment. This stipulates hours worked per week, number of days holiday, pay scales and whether the employer will allow an employee to take on other paid jobs. People who work under these contracts will understandably cry foul when MPs take second roles.

But MPs have no such contracts. The position is what is known as an “office” – a post that carries responsibilities and expectations without a formal contract. Like many councillors or other people who hold such offices, the assumption is that the individual will hold the post in addition to their normal lives.

But MPs get paid a lot. The role has developed over the years into a recognised full time job - and I really do mean full time, with no time not being an MP during the five-year term.

There is a question whether a ‘second job’ hinders or supports an MP’s role. Some MPs get paid for newspaper columns, but this can be done at any time. What about some of my colleagues who are GPs a few days a month? I suspect that first-hand experience of the NHS helps an MP have a more informed view. The same applies to those who serve as reservists or special constables. Even continuing as a non-executive director of a family business will open the MPs eyes to the problems facing business owners. But I completely understand that MPs being paid hundreds of thousands to do consultancy work will annoy many. A full time journalistic job adds fuel to the fire.

I do see merit in the argument that MPs should concentrate on their roles exclusively, but the alternative has not been properly explored. Should MPs work to a normal, exclusive, employment contract like everyone else? That might include a 40-hour week, and five or six weeks holiday. However, the day an MP says to a constituent that they will not deal with an issue because they are on holiday will be a day I hope never to see. Even worse might be the day an MP puts in a claim for overtime to appear at a public meeting.