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Hague's golden gift of the gab
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent05.01.09
WILLIAM Hague made between £65,000 and £95,000 from speeches and hosting award ceremonies while the country plunged into recession.
The shadow foreign secretary earned the sum, on top of his MP's annual salary of £61,820, in just over two months at the end of last year.
Mr Hague is estimated to have amassed between £3million and £4million since he stood down as Tory leader after losing the 2001 general election.
This income from employment outside Parliament comes from more than 150 speeches, charging between £5,000 and £25,000 a time; remunerated directorships; work as a parliamentary adviser or political expert; a Sunday newspaper column; two books and other events.
The revelation sparked questions over whether politicians should be taking on substantial work beyond their parliamentary duties, especially when the country faces a dire economic situation. Labour MP John Spellar said: "The public will find it hard to imagine that at this time we have got a part-time opposition."
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Ed Davey added: "David Cameron cannot be happy one of his most senior spokespeople is continuing to ignore his attempts to stop Tory MPs taking up so much of their time with outside interests."
Mr Hague's declarations in the Commons register of members' interests show that between 19 September and 1December he earned between £65,000 and £95,000 from four speaking and two awards events. He picked up between £85,000 and £110,000 for six similar events in the first half of the year.
He was also paid between £45,001 and £50,000 as a parliamentary adviser to the JCB Group; between £25,001 and £30,000 as a member of the political council of Terra Firma Capital Partners and £10,001 to £15,000 as a parliamentary adviser to Dunalastair Ireland Ltd. He also registered two paid directorships but does not have to disclose how much he receives from this work.
Mr Hague said: "You can gain in your effectiveness as a politician from a wider acquaintance with the world and from a degree of independence that having outside interests gives." He stressed that he had made more speeches in Parliament this year than any previous year and denied Mr Cameron had sought to ban MPs from having second jobs.
A Tory spokesman added: "He is a very hard-working Member of Parliament. He has reduced his outside interests and will continue to do so in 2009."
Mr Cameron had reportedly considered telling his shadow Cabinet members to rein in lucrative outside work as hopes grew of forming the next government.
He is said to have stepped back from such a move because of the apparent threat of a revolt - raising speculation he may be preparing to bring former chancellor Ken Clarke, who has a string of well-paid outside interests, back into the shadow cabinet.
His 2008 earnings
MPs declare income from employment in £5,000 bands.
Advisory roles - Parliamentary adviser to the JCB Group (£45,001-£50,000)
Member of the political council of Terra Firma Capital Partners (£25,001-£30,000)
Parliamentary adviser to Dunalastair Ireland Ltd (£10,001-£15,000)
Public engagements 30 January: hosted the European Venture Capital Journal Awards in London (£15,001-£20,000)
7 February: hosted the Legal Business Awards in London (£15,001-£20,000)
8 March: speech at Halliwell's Partners Conference in Brussels (£20,001-£25,000)
2 May: speech at Baker Tilly National Partners' Conference in London (£10,001-£15,000)
7 May: speech at Barclays Capital Markets Dinner in London (£10,001-£15,000)
7 June: speech at a lunch in London hosted by Orange Business Services (£10,001-£15,000)
19 September: speech at the Azur Business Networking Lunch in London (£10,001-£15,000)
8 October: speech at the Mortgage Intelligence Annual Conference dinner in Newport (£10,001-£15,000)
16 October: speech at the South Wales Society of Chartered Accountants Annual Dinner in Cardiff (£10,001-£15,000)
12 November: speech at the Annual Dinner of the Association of Corporate Treasurers in London (£10,001-£15,000)
27 November: hosted the Growing Business Awards in London (£10,001-£15,000)
1 December: hosted the Institute of Turnaround Professionals' Awards Dinner in London (£15,001-£20,000)
Mr Hague has two paid directorships but does not have to disclose earnings from these. They are with AES Engineering, Rotherham, and AMT-SYBEX Group Ltd, Dublin (non-executive). He also has a contract with HarperCollins Publishers to write a book about William Wilberforce.
Source: Commons Register of Members' Interests (17 December edition)
Reader views (14)
William Hague is by far the most intelligent, down to earth, sensible, believable, erudite and stable MP of all of them. He would make an excellent Prime Minister, and it grieves me that the press gave him such a hard time just because of a baseball cap. This man is worth every penny he earns s a speaker - something he has excelled at from a very young age, and good luck to him.
- Missnoma, Jersey, St Helier
Good luck to the man. He is extremely clever, very hard working, fulfills all his party and parliamentary duties and actually seems fairly normal which is rare in our modern day politicians. He was also in industry prior to becoming an MP also rare in our modern day MP's.
It is just unfortunate that he is bald and speaks with a funny accent that along with some poor political advisors ensured we were left with more of Tony Bliar.
- Nick, Cheltenham, ex of Hornsey
About time we introduced a high tax band for those who earn money while supposedly having a full time job. It would apply to those earning more than £100,000 in total income per year.
Given London still has a part-time Mayor who's to say they wont turn into a part-time government?
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
VM of London, please could you let us know how much the two most useless politicians since the war, John Major and Norman Lamont have earned since being kicked out of government by a vengeful electorate?
- T Cockles, St Albans England
William Hague is well worth the money - he never skimps attendance in Parliament, and is one of the few MPs for whom the chamber fills when he is going to speak. Unlike many MPs he is gaining wide experience - non executive directorships give him experience of how the REAL economy works. His books on Pitt and Wilberforce were brilliant.
He is reapng the benefits of being clever and very hardwoking.
- Michael Corby, London UK
William Hague is my MP and a very good one! Letters answered promptly, regular surgerys and spends a lot of time in the constituancy. As he is shadowing david Milliband he is doing an outstanding job in Westminster and it's just a case of envy on the part of Labour politicians. Perhaps he could give them lessons in Public speaking! Anne. Wensleydale.
- Anne, Leyburn England
Good luck to him !
- Brian Hughes, wales
very interesting comments.... next time could you please remind us how much Tony Blair is earning at the moment and look where the country is after 10 years of his Government!
- V M, London
No doubt the Labour and Lib Dems cannot command huge speaking fees either because they are too dim or boring.
Why else would complaints be made?
- Minnie Ovens, London, UK
Snout- Trough- Tory.
"Chuck", Tony Blair is no longer a serving member of Parliament, so whatever he earns is between him and those that value his services. And ken cashed in on memoirs etc after Boris took over as mayor.
As far as Hague is concerned, he is supposed to be looking after the interests of those who have elected him to office, why does he have any spare time? Is there so little to do as an opposition MP? If he has spare time, why not do MORE constituency work and cash-in after his time as a public servant.
Also- what advantage do companies seek by employing a "parliamentary advisor", and does this not raise questions about buying influence, insider knowledge etc?
Hague, Boris et al- stop snuffling around for perks and get on with what should be a full-time job. The full-time job WE pay you to do.
- Fresh, london
Wonderful that excellence is rewarded. Something that the current government does not recognize. This man is streaks ahead of anyone in the current cabinet both intellectually and in terms of dynamism
- Cjgood, London UK
Peanuts! Have you seen how much Blair gets?
- Chuck Unsworth, London
I hope that he didn't charge the Forty Cricket Club for making an after dinner speech a couple of years ago. I would have hoped that our subs would go towards the aims of the club which are to encourage cricket in schools.
- A Ostler, Epsom England
The value of his services demonstrates the stupidity of so many voters who failed to elect him as Prime Minister when they had the opportunity. This country would not be in such a mess if we had had a Convservative Government led by William Hague.
- Clare, London
