Hague ends after-dinner speeches

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague has decided to quit his outside directorships and end his after-dinner speeches, the Standard has learned.

Following David Cameron's call for all his MPs to be above reproach, Mr Hague is accelerating his plans to wind down his private interests and from September will focus solely on his shadow Cabinet job.

As "deputy leader in all but name", Mr Hague has worried some in the party over his earnings from speeches and directorships.

He is estimated to have amassed up to £4 million since standing down as Tory leader in 2001. He made up to £95,000, on top of his annual MP's salary of £61,820, in just over two months at the end of last year.

Mr Hague will step down from directorships at AES Engineering and computer firm AMT-SYBEX and quit as Parliamentary adviser to the JCB Group and City firm Terra Firma Capital Partners, and cease to write books or newspaper columns.

He is due to make clear his stance this weekend and his move may put pressure on fellow shadow ministers Andrew Mitchell and Oliver Letwin to follow suit.