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Cameron refuses to ban his team from part-time posts
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor23.12.08
David Cameron came under fire today after it emerged that he had agreed the shadow cabinet could keep lucrative second jobs.
The Tory leader was accused of running a "two-jobs team" as he refused to push plans to force colleagues to ditch their outside posts in the City and elsewhere.
Some senior advisers to Mr Cameron feared that the party's image could be undermined during a recession, but have met a revolt from MPs who believe that the party benefits from business experience.
Aides to Mr Cameron confirmed to the Evening Standard today that there would be no requirement on shadow ministers to focus exclusively on their political jobs.
Just under half of the shadow cabinet supplement their £60,000 salaries as MPs, holding down a total of 23 directorships and 13 other jobs, an FT analysis revealed today.
Tory frontbench resistance to the idea was typified today by shadow business secretary Alan Duncan, who said that he had given up one of his two directorships but refused to cave into Labour hectoring.
"Here we are in the middle of the biggest business crisis for decades and the experience of business in the House of Commons is at an all-time low. How can that be a good thing? Better to be part-time wise, than full-time ignorant," he said.
A party official said today: "This is not something we are doing right now. It may come into force before an election. Obviously once an election is called, the shadow cabinet would not be going into City offices once a week."
William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, this year earned more than £230,000 on top of the undisclosed fees for his two directorships. This included a six-figure sum from after-dinner speaking, where Mr Hague charges a minimum £10,000 a time.
Critics - Tories among them - question whether Mr Hague's five outside jobs and dozen annual speaking engagements leave enough time to hold the government to account. Mr Cameron this month dismissed such doubts. "What matters is whether these people perform. Would Britain be better represented abroad by William Hague or David Miliband? Clearly William Hague," he told reporters. "You've got to judge people on their merits." One shadow minister said: "Even if no one quit, this would have created real unhappiness and why sour things now?
"You'd get people calling on the party to pay their tax bills and asking why Andy Coulson [Mr Cameron's press chief] is paid so much more than them."
He blamed the proposed ban on "kite flying" by Steve Hilton, the strategic adviser paid a six-figure salary by Mr Cameron. Mr Cameron's reshuffle expected in the new year is unlikely to resolve the issue, with many of the part-timers set to keep their place in the shadow cabinet.
Cabinet Minister Liam Byrne said: "While Labour gives people real help with the downturn, David Cameron's two-jobs team seem more interested in their own pay packets."
Reader views (9)
It's really important that MPs, especially when they are in opposition, have jobs in addition to being professional politicians.
It makes them more independant, keeps them informed of what is happening in the real world and brings them into contact with people outside parliament.
One of our problems is that so many politiciams have never help down a proper job. They've gone straight from student politics to being a researcher and then an MP. It helps a little if they get a proper job later.
- David In England, Canterbury UK
PART TIME TORIES..............
- David Bailey, london uk
Nice to see these guys are feeling the credit pinch. I wonder what would have been said if they were Labour members? I'm sure THEY (Labour MP"s) would get slated for doing something like this, as the current financial mess as we all know is their fault
- Colin, South London England
It's not how long you spend at work that counts - it's how hard you work when you are there.
Think about it!
- R Bingham, Lauzun, France
The Tory Front Bench are nothing more than part timers. These so called directorships are nothing more than Tory MPs lending their names to companies for doing nothing.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex
This smacks of the US under Bush - jobs for the boys and perks for the companies that support them, whilst forgetting about Joe Public or deliberately implementing policies that favour companies over the public. Sadly the days of people going into politics to do good - now it is all self, self, self 'what can I get out of being a politician?'
- Andy, London
Tpical Tory Party arrogance and clearly smacks of fiddling tax and untrustworthiness
- Keith Price, Luton, England
Mr Cameron and his team get my vote! There is an economic crisis in Britain and soon everyone will have to work 2 jobs to pay for all the taxes that Crash Gordon has invented.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
how many cabinet ministers & labour flunkey's (including tony Blair) have left office & walked straight into lucrative jobs in industry or speaking engagements. This is the politics of envy, and is history. The electorate have moved on (unlike Labour) and recognise that if we want the best people in government then they will also attract interest from the business world. The knowledge & experience they gain from non-exec posts in the real world can only be beneficial 'in office'. Look at William Hague, a much better shadow Foreign Secretary now than he was as leader of the Tories - why, because in the intervening years he has operated in the real world.
- Malcolm, London, England
