They’re all at it: Prezza, Dave and co reveal their members’ interests

It's noses in the trough day at Westminster. Not only are the MPs voting themselves pay rises tonight, but the register of members' interests has also been published today.

This shows that John Prescott has trousered up to £175,000 since quitting as DPM, including two advances for his autobiography totalling £140,000 from Headline Book Publishing.

More astonishing perhaps is that he is earning up to £10,000 a throw from people who are willing to pay good money to hear him speak! They include the British Mortgage Senate in Monte Carlo for which he earned between £5,000 and £10,000, including flights and hotel accommodation for himself and his long-suffering wife Pauline.

The normal arrangement for book contracts is that the author is paid in three tranches, which suggests that Prezza can expect to get another £70,000 making around £210,000 in advances for the book in total.

In contrast to the golden voiced Prezza, Peter Hain rates a modest fee of up to £5,000 for an advance on a book from Octopus Publishing, no doubt about his innocence from the charges of failing to declare more than £100,000 in donations for his deputy leadership campaign which led to his prompt resignation in January from the Cabinet. He has taken great care, though belatedly, to spell out who donated money to his cause in the register of members' interests.

On the Tory side, Michael Gove declares a donation from Annabel's, the Berkeley Square club, while William Hague declares he earns up to £25,000 for a single speech on the speakers' circuit.

Michael Howard has joined the speakers on the Saga Cruise circuit, sailing with ex-model wife Sandra and a ship full of over-50s from Los Angeles to Miami last year and this year from Tahiti to New Zealand. He has shareholdings in Lloyds TSB which have recently nose-dived in value.

David Cameron declares receiving a Fortnum and Mason hamper and 12 silver goblets from Lord and Lady Harris of Peckham, and an F&M hamper from Mohammed Galadari of London, and a rug from Hamid Kharzi on his visit to Afghanistan. George Bush gave him a sterling silver tray during his visit last month.

Poor old Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has nothing to compare with these treasures. Apart from routine donations, his only declared gift is the payment by Neil Sherlock of a professional photographer to accompany him on a campaign visit and at the Lib Dem party conference.

THE MOLE: MONEY TALKS

FIRST POSTED JULY 3, 2008