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Moonlight is clouding over

Nov 5 2008 By Jon Walker

Rumours of a crackdown on “moonlighting” shadow cabinet members could be bad news for Birmingham MP Andrew Mitchell (Con Sutton Coldfield).

Tory leader David Cameron is reportedly planning to ban his top team taking second jobs, or at least to demand they scale back work.

Mr Mitchell, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, will be one of those affected. He holds no fewer than six directorships with divisions of merchant bank Lazards.

And he is paid between £35,000 and £40,000 a year to advise consultancy Accenture.

William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, charges £20,000 for an evening’s work as an after-dinner speaker. Not bad for telling a few jokes.

n Digby Jones has reason to celebrate after making his first speech as an independent member of the House of Lords.

Lord Jones of Birmingham is no longer a member of the Government, which means he is free to speak his mind. He told the Lords: “I declare one interest ...today is my birthday.”

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