CALLS have been made for MPs to give up their outside interests and concentrate on representing constituents, following the David Amess caravan row.

Mr Amess tabled a parliamentary question in May asking whether there would be provision for caravan sites at the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Tory MP for Southend West is paid up to £10,000 a year as a parliamentary adviser to the Caravan Club, but he failed to declare an interest when submitting his question.

Mr Amess has said his office made a simple clerical error, and forgot to tick a box to declare his interest.

But the row has reopened the debate over whether MPs should be paid by outside businesses and groups on top of their salary.

Paul Whiteley, professor of government at the University of Essex, which has a campus in Southend, said: “The traditional view is that it’s a good thing for MPs to have outside interests, as it keeps them in touch with the world outside Westminster.

“This is why lawyers have been allowed to keep practising and other professionals have retained jobs.

“The trouble with this argument is, with the expenses scandal, the public is no longer going to accept these sorts of interests and paid consultancy work.

“The expectation is MPs should be full-time and should not be influenced by outside interests.

“People will clearly be a great deal happier if they think their MPs are working for them all the time, rather than other vested interests.”

Southend West Lib Dem candidate, Peter Welch, said it was a difficult question whether MPs should have any outside interests or act as consultants.

He added: “I can understand someone who has a special interest in renewable energy or global warming would want to ask questions about it.

“You have to remember that parliamentary questions cost a lot of money by the time all the answers have been found out.”

Tom Flynn, who is standing for Labour in the constituency, said he and many other prospective candidates felt it was time the system was changed.

“I believe the feeling is in the future it will just be considered unacceptable to have this sort of system, where MPs can ask questions on an issue where they are being paid as a consultant by an outside company.”

See our special report on pages 6 and 7 of today's Echo