New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Politics
  2. Media
26 January 2023

How much will Jacob Rees-Mogg take home from GB News?

The right-wing channel’s two existing Tory MP presenters earn £40,000-plus each.

By The Chatterer

The Chatterer will be keeping a keen eye on the MPs’ register of interests after Jacob Rees-Mogg starts his new job as a presenter on GB News, a channel that he describes as a “bastion of free speech”.

The former business secretary is to become the third sitting Tory MP to host a programme on the right-wing channel, following Esther McVey and Philip Davies, the husband-and-wife team who host morning shows on Fridays and Saturdays. (Dehenna Davison, another Tory MP, formerly co-hosted The Political Correction on Sundays.) The details of Rees-Mogg’s GB News show have not been revealed.

Many a taxpayer might argue that MPs, who earn a basic annual salary of £84,144, shouldn’t have the time for moonlighting in between their parliamentary duties and constituency work. Still, the Chatterer takes some consolation from the fact that, when they do, they must declare their earnings, thereby providing some juicy insights into TV presenter pay.

For instance, thanks to the register of interests, we know that McVey and Davies were paid more than £40,000 each for their work on GB News last year (the figures appear to be up to date only as far as November). According to his latest filing, Davies was paid £6,718.67 on 24 November for presenting nine shows on GB News. McVey’s latest filing, also dated 24 November, reveals she took home £3,333.33 for presenting four episodes. These figures suggest that Davies is paid just shy of £750 per episode, while McVey makes more than £830. Awkward? Maybe, but it’s a fair contribution to the family coffers either way.

The Chatterer looks forward to finding out how the earnings of Rees-Mogg compare.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

[See also: “We’re going to disrupt”: A year inside GB News]

Content from our partners
No health, no growth
Tackling cancer waiting times
Kickstarting growth: will complex health issues be ignored?

Topics in this article : ,