By BENEDICT BROGAN William Hague threatened to lead a walk-out if David Cameron forced his Shadow Cabinet to give up their lucrative second jobs, it was claimed last night. The Tory leader planned to ban 'moonlighting' by Christmas, but has since backed down in the face of an internal revolt. Senior Conservatives revealed that up to three spokesmen, including the Shadow Foreign Secretary, were ready to quit. Tory leader David Cameron (left) and William Hague have clashed over proposals to stop senior Shadow Cabinet ministers from having second jobs Mr Cameron also faced the threat of an embarrassing row over his own wealth. Colleagues complained that he and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne were demanding sacrifices even though they can both rely on family money to boost their income. As Leader of the Opposition, Mr Cameron also receives a top-up to his MPs' pay worth more than £70,000, giving him an annual salary of £135,000. The Tory leader, however, remains sensitive to the charge that he leads a team of part-timers. With Westminster preparing for a possible snap election, he wants his troops to look battle-ready and preparing for government. But MPs have argued that it also helps to have senior figures with daily experience of the City. Senior Tories complained that Shadow Chancellor George Osborne and Mr Cameron had wealthy backgrounds to fall back on Sixteen out of the 22 members of the Shadow Cabinet have declared remunerated employment to top up their £65,000 salary as MPs. Mr Hague earned £230,000 this year from speaking fees and directorships, policy chief Oliver Letwin works part-time for bankers N M Rothschild, and international development spokesman Andrew Mitchell holds six directorships with the merchant bank Lazards. According to a report yesterday, one member of the Shadow Cabinet told Mr Cameron he did not want a more high-profile and demanding post because he did not want to give up his other jobs. Tory business spokesman Alan Duncan, who has given up one of his directorships, said: '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.' But Mr Cameron's retreat last night dismayed some Tories, who said he had missed an opportunity to show that his team is focused on preparing for government. With some concern about a slackening in Conservative support in the polls, there is also resentment in the Shadow Cabinet over the way Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne are running the leadership. One veteran MP said senior frontbenchers are unhappy with the way Mr Cameron's office marginalises other members of the Shadow Cabinet. 'They want to do more but it's all about David and George,' he said. 'It looks like the Tories do not have the kind of hunger for power that marked Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who would have sold their grandmothers to win. 'If members of the Shadow Cabinet are more worried about lifestyle or school fees than beating Labour, then David should tell them to go and replace them with hungrier MPs.' A Tory spokesman said: '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.' Cabinet Office 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.'Cameron gives in to his Cabinet 'moonlighters'
Last updated at 9:56 PM on 23rd December 2008
Of Mr Cameron backing down over the second jobs, one senior source told the Daily Mail: 'It's a minor issue, but it does suggest that he's not quite as confident of his position as people might have assumed six months ago.
Wednesday 24 December 2008
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