Hypocrisy?

On the one hand, the BBC reports:

The government has ramped up efforts to "stamp out illegal unpaid internships".

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has written to more than 500 firms over the last three months reminding them that interns classed as workers must be paid the minimum wage.

The government also says it will ask HMRC to focus minimum wage enforcement work on firms using unpaid interns.

The details were contained in the government's response to a review of working practices.

The Taylor Review into working practices, published last year, concentrated particularly on the so-called gig economy of part time and flexible workers.

However, it also highlighted the issue of unpaid internships.

It said the government should ensure that "exploitative unpaid internships which damage social mobility in the UK, are stamped out".

On the other hand, The Guardian reports:

A prominent Conservative minister advertised an unpaid internship to support his constituency work just hours before the government published its plan to tackle unfair working practices, the Guardian can reveal.

The housing minister Dominic Raab, who has been regularly touted as a future Tory leader, advertised the position on the W4MP website, which has a jobs board for roles with politicians. It is the only position advertised by a sitting MP that is unpaid.

The ad says the role would be based in Westminster and would “ideally suit a gap-year student or recent school leaver” to help with research and casework from Raab’s Esher and Walton constituency.