The government needs to “do better” amid sleaze allegations against MPs “and we know that”, the chancellor has told Sky News.

Speaking to economics editor Ed Conway as scrutiny continues into lobbying by MPs and their outside earnings through second jobs, Rishi Sunak said: “On the broader point and just reflecting over recent events, I think for us as a government, it’s fair to say that we need to do better than we did last week and we know that.”

The Owen Paterson lobbying scandal, in which the Conservative was found to have broken the rules regarding his £110,000-a-year private sector work advocating for two firms, has sparked a wider debate and prompted a renewed focus on MPs’ activities outside the Commons.

The latest MP to come under scrutiny is former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox.

His entry in the register of members’ financial interests shows he earned more than £800,000 while working for law firm Withers, which is representing the British Virgin Islands government in a corruption case brought by the UK.

It has also been revealed that Sir Geoffrey voted by proxy in the House of Commons while earning hundreds of thousands of pounds for the legal work more than 4,000 miles away in the Caribbean.

Asked if an MP’s salary – over £80,000 – is enough for them to not feel the need to do extra work and earn more, Mr Sunak said: “I think people will have different motivations for doing what they do.

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“The pay is set by an independent body. That’s absolutely right.

“And with regard to second jobs, there’s an independent process that we have that is set by parliament that governs all of those things and it’s absolutely right that process is followed to the letter.”

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