And so the scandal in the UK about lobbyists and members of the House of Commons with extra duties has reached a new level.
The “disrespectful delegate of the British Virgin Islands” is what Sir Geoffrey sarcastically called in Westminster. Officially, he is the Honorable MP for Torridge and West Devon, a constituency in South West England.
While his countrymen have been imprisoned on their island due to the lockdown, the 61-year-old Queen’s Counsel was particularly busy last spring representing CEOs of one of the world’s most famous tax havens. Cox rarely came to the House of Commons.
London suspected the island’s rulers of financial misconduct, such as misusing Covid funds. They can use legal aid from a Briton who has political and legal experience. In this regard, Cox was the perfect man.
For years, Cox served as the country’s highest-ranking attorney, and Attorney General, in the Conservative government. In early 2020, shortly after his election victory, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he would no longer use the services of Cox, who is known for his baritone voice that likes to shed poetry.
This gave Cox more time for his work at Withers, an international law firm. During the pandemic, another perk has been added: working from home. Politicians no longer had to go to schools or libraries to hold office hours with their constituents, while voting in the House of Commons was temporarily possible from a distance.
hourly rate
Cox did not have to think twice about working in the Virgin Islands, where the money was enough to pay an hourly wage of £1,000. Bought an iPad at the taxpayer’s expense.
This act caused an uproar, not least because Cox got into a fight with the Secretary of State, a fellow party member. Of all the sidelines featured in the lobbyist scandal, this was the most lucrative and notorious.
Cox said in a statement that he had obtained permission from the party leader. According to him, the final verdict is up to the Devon electors, who can arrange a vote of confidence on their invisible deputy by petition.
In total, Cox earned more than 1 million euros last year through his “side job” as a lawyer.
