By John Carney
NEW FIGURES have revealed the business interests of MLAs recently elected to the Stormont Assembly and many are getting some handy extra cash on top of their £51,500 salaries.
All 90 members are required to declare information on a register of interests of any financial interest that “might reasonably be thought by others to influence a member’s actions, speeches or votes in the assembly”.
The latest register of interests includes details on the new members elected in May which shows many have a wide variety of interests outside working as an MLA.
Two local politicians appeared on the register. UUP MLA Tom Elliott is listed as working 35 hours a month as a self-employed and unpaid farmer.
Mr Elliott also jointly owns (with his wife) 1.63 per cent of the shares in Janard – a company that owns land and property.
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