Top Labour MP Chuka Umunna branded a hypocrite as he advertises for an unpaid intern to spend a YEAR working for him
The MP for Streatham is trying to hire a student to work full-time doing research, admin and casework
A LEADING Labour MP was today accused of hypocrisy after advertising for an intern to work unpaid for a YEAR.
One-time leadership contender Chuka Umunna is trying to find a student to work full-time in his office doing admin, research and casework.
But he is refusing to offer a salary - despite Labour's pledge to make unpaid internships illegal if they get into power.
One furious student who was sent the job ad said it was "unbelievable" for Mr Umunna to expect staff to work for free.
And after The Sun revealed the advert, Jeremy Corbyn sent a reminder to all Labour MPs not to employ people without paying them.
Mr Umunna, the MP for Streatham and former Shadow Business Secretary, is one of Labour's highest profile figures as a leading light in the campaign for a second referendum on Brexit.
One of his staff has circulated a message around universities, looking for a student willing to take a year out from their degree to work in Westminster.
The ad said: "Chuka Umunna is seeking an enthusiastic placement student to join his London-based office."
The duties listed include researching "a wide variety of policy issues and constituent enquiries", working on the anti-Brexit campaign, organising events and "administrative support".
The only pay offered is the cost of a student travelcard - worth around £1,000 a year.
In its election manifesto last year, Labour vowed to outlaw unpaid internships.
The party said: "It’s not fair for some to get a leg up when others can’t afford to."
One student who was sent the job ad by his university told The Sun he was shocked to see Mr Umunna looking for someone to work unpaid for so long.
He said: "A summer is understandable but anything more is prohibitive for poorer students. Not only that - but it contradicts the Labour manifesto on banning unpaid internships."
Mr Umunna said today that the scheme was only open to students who would continue to be paid maintenance loans - worth £4,000 a year for most students - while working in his office.
He told The Sun: "The scheme, and others like it, are run collaboratively by MPs and universities, and gives students supported work experience as part of their university degree.
“In addition to the Student Finance students receive while undertaking a placement, as detailed in the advert, my office will reimburse travel expenses for a student travel card to minimise expenses. I do not and would not offer a long-term placement where a student is not supported and left financially penalised."
The MP called for Parliament's authorities to start funding paid internships.
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He added: "I strongly believe that interns should be paid and, for that reason, I do not have any unsupported interns working in the office despite the many requests received."
When he was in Ed Miliband's Shadow Cabinet, Mr Umunna was slammed for hiring unpaid interns on a short-term basis - but insisted they were only doing "work experience".
And in 2014, the MP drew mockery after he claimed a £15 mop and bucket on taxpayer-funded expenses.
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