George Osborne claims his £75k a pop speeches are helping Britain as they show businesses it’s ‘a great place to invest’
The ex-Chancellor, who banked £320,000 last month, claims his lucrative after dinner speeches are drumming up investment in the UK
GEORGE Osborne has defended the eye-watering £320,000 he banked last month, claiming he joined the lucrative speakers circuit to drum up investment in the UK.
The ex-Chancellor has seen his wallet bulge since he was sacked in July, but he claimed last night he was doing it so he could talk “to businesses about how actually despite all the challenges we face this is great place to invest.”
He added: “of course I am happy to do that.”
In October alone he netted £320,438 for just five appearances and got freebie flights to New York, putting him on course to earn more than £2 million in a year.
Probed by the BBC last night Mr Osborne claimed that thanks to transparency rules “people can see what I’ve done”.
When faced with allegations he had “cashed in”, Mr Osborne replied: “it’s very similar to what previous Chancellors — both Labour and Conservative — have done in the past.”
After he was sacked by Theresa May, Mr Osborne has wasted no time in embarking on a lucrative speaking career away from the Commons.
Last month The Sun revealed he had signed up with the world’s most prestigious speaking agency, the Washington Speakers Bureau.
He declared the earnings in the Common’s Register of Interests, in line with strict guidelines to what MPs can do on top of their £74,962 salary.