Totting up the Tories’ second job earnings

David Cameron’s self-denying ordinance on Shadow Cabinet outside interests will look to many in his own party like a bit of tokenism.

At his press conference this morning David Cameron made the argument FOR MPs having outside interests, even mentioned that he used to have some himself when he was Shadow Education spokesman.

Then he said he wanted all his Shadow Cabinet to give them up anyway (from December).

We’ve been given a list of what that means in income foregone, and it makes interesting reading – not least when you work out the hours spent in the outside interest and divide the pay to work out the hourly rate.

Oliver Letwin charges a comparatively modest £145 hourly rate for advice, Michael Gove’s journalism for The Times comes in at more than £1,000 an hour.

It’s only a few weeks since David Cameron couldn’t get this income-slashing past his colleagues… the latest twists and turns in the expenses saga have changed the climate.