Political failure has its rewards according to the way defeated hopefuls for the Conservative crown have notched up lucrative work outside Parliament.

The new register of MPs financial interests shows how William Hague, Ann Widdecombe and Ken Clarke have been earning six-figure sums.

The payments come through directorships, speeches, television programmes and even writing books.

Clarke's tobacco links are well-known

Meanwhile, the man with the job they coveted, Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, is left declaring the helicopter trips which helped him tour the UK, dress loans to his wife and a Christmas hamper from the Sultan of Brunei.

In contrast, his predecessor as leader, William Hague, has been topping up his �55,000 salary as an MP with a range of other work.

Mr Hague earns at least �145,000 from extra work - not counting the cash he banks as a director of a Rotherham engineering firm, something he does not have to put a figure on.

As well as seven speaking engagements priced at between �5,000 and �10,000, he earns up �45-50,000 as parliamentary adviser to the JCB digger company.

Another �65-70,000 goes to Mr Hague for being on the political council of Terra Firma Capital Partners.

Portillo's perks

Mr Hague also gets undisclosed extra funds through his contract with Harper Collins for his forthcoming biography of William Pitt The Younger.

Ken Clarke already held directorships, most famously with British American Tobacco, before his failed leadership campaign last year.

His current total of six directorships, as well as other business and media work, are thought to earn him more than his fellow former frontbenchers.

Theresa May's shoes caught activists' imagination

Michael Portillo, meanwhile, has one of the longest lists of interests in the register.

The former defence secretary gets an undisclosed sum as a non-executive director of BAE Systems.

He has earned extra cash from 21 speaking engagements in the last year and from five newspaper articles.

Extra fees come from his work as a television presenter - for a BBC documentary about Richard Wagner, his championing of Elizabeth I for the Great Britons series and other programmes.

Gaining pounds - and fitness

Former shadow home secretary Miss Widdecombe's earnings include �750 from appearing on BBC's Ready, Steady, Cook and �3,000 for taking part in Crime Team on Channel 4.

She received �5-10,000, including a donation to charity, for being part of Celebrity Fit Club - on top of free use of fitness facilities.

But her principal extra-parliamentary income is from a �100,000 publishing contract for her novels and another �100,000, plus performance bonuses, for her third and fourth books.

Kennedy's honeymoon flight - and upgrade - is registered

The most recent departures from Labour's front bench - former cabinet ministers Stephen Byers and Estelle Morris - are not notching up such a range of work.

Mr Byers only declares rent from commercial property he owns in Newcastle, while Ms Morris registers no outside income at all.

Ex-Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson fares better.

His interests include his directorship of an advertising agency, �10-15,000 from his monthly column in GQ magazine, and fees for speeches and newspaper articles.

Football suits

Other entries in the register, include the sharp-fronted shoes made famous by Conservative chairman Theresa May.

She declares the gift of three pairs of Hot2Trot shoes from Russell and Bromley - a line which was snatched up by Tory activists after Mrs May sported a pair at the party conference.

Liberal Democrat MP Charles Kennedy declares his wedding present of two return airline tickets to Kuala Lumpur, where the couple went on honeymoon.

They seem to have received a one-way flight upgrade on the trip from British Airways.

Meanwhile, some Labour MPs are apparently still wearing the Burtons suits provided for them when they visited the World Cup in Japan as members of the Commons football team.

Prime Minister Tony Blair meanwhile registers the six nights he spent with his family as guest of the Egyptian government.

He paid the equivalent cost to charities. Mr Blair also registers a trip paid for by the Bermudian Government, for whom she addressed a conference in her capacity as a barrister.

The Commons football team declares suits from Burtons and kit from Nike for a tour of Japan during the World Cup.