Hedge fund management and private equity is not illegal at this time.

Does the fact that so many Tories are associated with financial organisations concern me? It dismays me that Cameron thinks that an executive jolly is the same as real work. But he has never had a real job.

The issue for me is not that these second “jobs” would distract them from their parliamentary duties, but the fact that, given the parlous state of the financial industry it’s a cocking *gigantic* conflict of interest to have a potentially incoming government up to their necks in said industry, raking in massive sums in the process.

And these are the kind of people who have the gall to say that public-sector jobs are “make-work”. Given that a council-employed youth officer probably has to come up with ways to keep gangs of lads from tearing strips out of each other day on day, and these buggers basically have to show up to the odd meeting, play golf and attend the right social gatherings, I strenuously beg to differ on who’s doing the “make-work”.

* – i.e. They do bugger all except lend their name and influence, maybe show up at meetings once or twice a month and get paid hundreds of thousands for it, whereas most of us have to work at least 5 days a week and have bugger-all left once we’ve put a roof over our head for the next month and fed ourselves.