Tory's 'lost leader' Hague earns £800,000 a year through speeches

During his years in the political wilderness, the party's "lost leader" - hammered by Tony Blair at the polls in 2001 - raked in over £1million a year from writing and speaking.

But figures published recently reveal the Shadow Foreign Secretary is still earning a fortune on the side.

His earnings from directorships, TV, writing and on the after-dinner circuit have brought in £790,000, according to the new register of MPs' interests.

Some £385,000 was earned before he was selected as part of Tory leader David Cameron's top team in January last year.

But extra-curricular activities have still swollen his bank balance by a whopping £405,000 since.

Mr Hague, MP for the well-heeled constituency of Richmond in North Yorkshire, also admits he has signed a contract with publishers HarperCollins to write a book about anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.

Figures published two years ago showed his wealth was boosted by an estimated £200,000 book advance for his critically-acclaimed biography of William Pitt the Younger, which eventually headed best-seller lists in Britain.

Mr Hague - who insists he has cut back on his engagements - was the highest earning MP on the register. It comes on top of his annual salary of £60,277.

Friends always expected that the articulate and amusing orator would easily earn a crust out of office.

But few suspected retirement from front line politics would be quite so lucrative.

He has carried out no fewer than 38 public speaking engagements since November 2005 - a £550,000 boost to the Hague bank balance.

The register also reveals he receives £50,000 a year advising the JCB mechanical digger group and up to £70,000 a year as a member of the Political Council of Terra Firma Capital Partners.

The figures do not include undisclosed fees for two directorships - with an engineering in Rotherham and a Dublin-based utilities company.

Mr Hague said he was not distracted from his Parliamentary duties: "I have so far cut down by two-thirds on all my activities.

"My income is also down by more than half. About 95 per cent of my time goes into politics."

MPs are obliged to give details about all work outside Parliament that pay more than £600 a year.

It is an attempt to tackle sleaze by encouraging transparency and preventing conflicts of interest.

The report, which covers everything declared since November 2005, reveals that David Blunkett is also well on the way to becoming a millionaire.

Former Cabinet minister Mr Blunkett made about £385,000 from his autobiography The Blunkett Tapes as well as almost £200,000 from after-dinner speeches and journalism.

Boris Johnson, the Tory's higher education spokesman, earned £545,000 from journalism, speeches and TV work.

He received up to ££10,000 for hosting a sidesplitting edition of the BBC2 current affairs gameshow Have I Got News For You?

He will also receive an undisclosed sum for the Dutch book rights for his lecturers on The Dream Of Rome.

Ann Widdecombe, a former Tory minister, earned £310,000 from a string of television appearances and speeches.

She has appeared on Channel 4's popular show Countdown, BBC2's University Challenge and, ironically, ITV's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Respect MP George Galloway, a hardened socialist, clawed in £305,000, according to the register.

This included up to £150,000 for his embarrassing appearance on celebrity Big Brother, when he pretended he was a cat.

Prime Minister Tony Blair declared free holidays at Sir Cliff Richard's villa in Barbados and Bee Gee Robin Gibb's home in Miami.

Despite playing up his green credentials, David Cameron registered a string of free private flights.

He also received a portrait of himself from Scottish construction tycoon Sir Jack Harvie, who raised at least £700,000 for the Conservatives.

The painting hangs in Portcullis House, where MPs have their offices at Westminster.

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, suggested a large number of business activities risked 'compromising' MPs' Parliamentary work.

The MP, who made a pledge on his election not to take on outside paid directorships or consultancies, said: "Being an MP is a full-time job. I know I have trouble cramming everything I have to do into a week and I am still very pushed for time.

"If that's the case I don't really know how there's time for MPs to do a huge number of extra-curricular activities without compromising their work."

Mr Baker himself earned up to £10,000 for lecturing civil servants on the work of an MP and journalism.

Norman Baker, a Liberal Democrat MP, said: "I think it would be very difficult for Mr Hague to look after his constituents' interests and fulfil his shadow Cabinet role properly at the same time as carrying out so many engagements on the speaking circuit."

Conservative MPs were reluctant to comment on Mr Hague's earnings as many are directors of companies or earned money from activities outside Parliament.