30 September 2023 , 16:00
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Tory toff Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg is trousering around £750 an hour on top of his £86,584 MP’s salary in his role at GB News.
The multi-millionaire, who was formally knighted by Princess Anne at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, has been paid between £29,166 and £32,083 for six 40-hour months since he started at the controversial channel in March.
The huge rate for presenting his State of the Nation programme, which runs from Monday to Thursday, is equivalent to a £356,000 full-time salary. Rees-Mogg’s show is one of a number by GB News being probed by Ofcom over impartiality – with an episode from June facing scrutiny under its “politicians as presenters” rule.
The broadcaster this week suspended actor and Reclaim party leader Laurence Fox for making sexist remarks about political journalist Ava Evans, including saying: “Who would want to sh*g that?” Ofcom got 7,300 complaints and is investigating the rant.
Since starting at GB News, Old Etonian Rees-Mogg, 54, has filed the payments in the MPs’ Register of Financial Interests. The Brexiteer is also a partner in investment management firm Somerset Capital and according to reports he has pocketed £7million in dividends since the EU referendum in 2016, receiving £600,000 in 2021.
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His TV fees mean he earns more than top BBC stars including interviewer Laura Kuenssberg, on £310,000, and newsreader Naga Munchetty on £340,000. His earnings also dwarf those of other Tory MPs who work for GB News.
Ex-minister Esther McVey, 55, and husband Philip Davies, 51, declared making £93,000 and £66,000 since August last year, while Tory party deputy chairman Lee Anderson raked in £100,000. Earlier this month, Ofcom found GB News in breach of impartiality rules over McVey and Davies’ interview with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer pointed out that Parliamentary rules “allow presenters who are MPs to take part in current affairs programmes”. But Labour MP Dawn Butler said: “Jacob Rees-Mogg often evangelises about how MPs should be in Parliament, so how can he justify spending so much time on GB News?”
She also accused him of flouting impartiality rules with “biased commentary” on “a channel which promotes hate and division”, when as a politician “he should be encouraging unity and community”. Fox, 45, said he was “sorry for demeaning” Ms Evans and GB News said it would apologise to her. Dan Wootton, whose show the rant aired on, was also suspended. A spokesman for Rees-Mogg was approached for comment.