Newly elected Conservative MP for Hertsmere Oliver Dowden has taken two additional jobs since he was voted in – netting him a total of £122k a year.

The former Downing Street deputy, who won the seat in May’s General Election, has defended taking on the roles, saying he is earning the extra money to support his family.

According to the register of MPs' financial interests, published last month, Oliver Dowden became an advisor for Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed in July.

The job will earn him an additional £1,500 a month or £18,000 a year.

He is also an advisor Caxton Europe Asset Management Ltd, where he provides ad hoc advice and analysis of UK and international policy and political development, which will earn him a further £2,500 a month.

The two jobs will amount to an additional £48,000 per year on top of his annual MP’s salary of £74,000.

Mr Dowden, who was made a CBE for public services last week, was earning £125K in his former role as the deputy chief of staff to the Prime Minister.

Hertsmere constituents took to Twitter to describe this revelation as a “disgrace” whilst others said that the MPs were being “greedy”. Cllr Leon Reefe, Hertfordshire county councillor and Labour leader for the area, said: “I think it is appalling.

“I thought Oliver Dowden would be better than that but clearly not. There are people earning less than half of what earns, making ends meet to support their families and they do it just as well.

“It’s politicians like him that give the rest of us a bad name and make the public distrusting of us.”

Mr Dowden, who lives in St Albans, said: “I am a full time Member of Parliament.

“I have a young family and it made sense to use some of my limited spare time to earn extra to support them.”

Mr Dowden said the jobs will not have an impact on his role as an MP and he will only be spending eight to ten hours per month on each of the jobs.

There are no rules that prevent MPs from taking on second jobs, and Mr Dowden is not the only one of the new MPs known to have taken on another job.

Conservative MPs Kevin Hollinrake and Chris Philip and the SNP’s Ian Blackford have also taken on second jobs.