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 Blyth MP Ian Levy's register

These are the figures for Conservative Blyth MP Ian Levy as of Monday, November 1.

He does not have any secondary employment

Mr Levy is not recorded as having any secondary employment nor did he receive additional income from any work carried out in the past year.

He did not receive any donations or gifts

He also is not recorded as receiving any gifts, donations or benefits in the past year. 

Extra entries on the register

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

From January 2020, member of the Blyth Town Board. This is an unpaid role. 

From March 2021, a Trustee of Anxious Minds, a mental health charity in the North East. This is an unpaid role. 

From August 2020, Member of the Chamber of Trade for Blyth. This is an unpaid role. 

From December 2020, Conservative Small Business Ambassador for the North East. This is an unpaid role. 

From August 2021 to July 2024, Member of the Newcastle University Court. This is an unpaid role. 

The Northern Echo contacted Ian Levy for comment.

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