BANBURY MP Sir Tony Baldry said last night he had acted properly by officially recording his appointment as a director for a property company.

He spoke out after he was appointed director of Werner Capital LLP in March, before listing a £5,000 payment in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. He has since registered a further £20,000 advance payment covering earnings for April to July, for about six hours work a month.

Sir Tony said: “I made it very clear in my election address at the last general election that I had outside interests and if I were re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Banbury I intended to continue with those outside interests.

"When I was first elected as Member of Parliament for Banbury in 1983 I was a practicing barrister and a company director.

“With the exception of the eight years in which I was a Government minister, in addition to being a Member of Parliament, I have continued to be a practicing barrister and a company director.

“Whenever I receive a payment I record it in the register of members’ interests.”