DAVID Miliband has earned £125,000 for 15 days work as a director of Sunderland AFC – on a par with players such as Louis Saha.
The payments, which cover the MP’s role as vice-chairman and non-executive director of the club since his appointment in February 2011, are listed in the House of Commons’ Register of Members’ Financial Interests.
It shows five £25,000 payments received from the Black Cats between June 2011 and July last year. All are listed as for between two and four days’ work.
The register, updated on December 19, shows how since losing the 2010 Labour leadership battle to his younger brother Ed, Mr Miliband has registered nearly £1million of outside earnings.
The South Shields MP is now a regular speaker at business events and international summits across the world.
Mr Miliband’s outside earnings are on top of his basic MP’s salary of around £65,000 a year.
His football earnings prompted a dig from political rivals.
Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said: “With a fee like that, you’d expect to see David Miliband on the pitch. Per appearance, he’s on a par with players like (Louis) Saha.
“Sunderland should red card this behaviour.”
In 2012, Mr Miliband also received £63,000 from the London Speaker Bureau for speaking at four events in Chennai, Oslo and London. Among Mr Miliband’s miscellaneous and unremunerated interests are sponsorship for the 2012 and 2013 South Shields Lectures, which he organises, from Port of Tyne, Nova International, the GMB and Northumbrian Water.
A spokesman for Mr Miliband said: “Outside earnings are submitted to the register of members’ interests which is rightly available to the public to view.”
Twitter: @SunderlandEcho
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