Howard the next beast to return?

Over at Independent minds,which by the way is becoming one of my top reads,Andrew Grice speculates that another of the big beasts may be returning to the shadow cabinet.

According to Andrew

Step forward Michael Howard, the former Tory leader, who employed Cameron as his political adviser when he was Home Secretary. Howard is standing down as MP for Folkestone and Hythe at the election but could be made a peer and parachuted into the Cabinet.

Possible-well after Ken Clarke's return,I suppose anything is.

Michael Howard certainly did a good job whilst in temporary charge of the party.His legal background gave him the ability to quickly analyse and respond.The only time,Tony Blair was seriously rattled on the floor of the Commons was when he told him that this grammar school boy would not take a lecture from a private school boy.

The Tories are still short of some of the big guns needed,so why not.

Hague may be suffering overt the second incomes controversy

I see that the latest Conservative Home survey of Shadow cabinet ministers sees William Hague rapidly falling from favour with the grass roots.

Maybe this is due to his standing up against Cameron's edict on giving up second incomes

He fell 12 per cent but stil remains in third place on 73 per cent trailing Eric Pickes and Chris Grayling

Other noticeble moves,a recovery for the beleagured George Osborne up 28 points to No 14 but spare a thought for Nannygate's Caroline Spelman who props up the table at -10 per cent

Cameron forced into a u turn over moonlighting cabinet members

It appears then that David Cameron has abandoned his attempts to bring the shadow cabinet into line over the issue of moonlighting.

According to the FT this morning

The party leader’s efforts to portray his party as in touch with ordinary voters will not be helped by the scale of shadow ministers’ earnings. Just under half – 15 out of 31 – of the shadow cabinet supplement their £60,000-plus salary as an MP, holding down a total of 23 directorships and 13 other jobs, according to analysis by the Financial Times.

Amongst the biggest earners and no doubt one of those whose voice forced Cameron into his backtrack is William Hague who

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.

Cameron under fire over edict on moon lighting shadow cabinet ministers

Much has been reported on David Cameron's edict to his front bench to give up their lucrative other incomes.

The Mail reports this morning that he is facing a backlash over his ban on second jobs.

According to the paper

the edict will risk antagonising some shadow ministers, who insist their extra earnings are based on merit and do not conflict with any of their Parliamentary or party duties.

and as it points out certain members of the Shadow cabinet are in no need of a second income

The Tory leader and his shadow chancellor George Osborne do not have outside interests, but nonetheless will have to proceed with caution since they come from rich families, unlike many of theircolleagues.