Cook rakes in £500,000 since quitting

Robin Cook has earned £500,000 since he walked out of the Cabinet over the Iraq war - trebling his old salary as a minister.

The former Commons leader emerged as the biggest winner in the annual tally of MPs' outside earnings, after banking £450,000 for his memoirs.

He also made around £26,000 for newspaper articles, over £5,000 for a lecture to a bank and was paid over £15,000 as a consultant on the horse racing industry.

Former Tory shadow chancellor Michael Portillo was another big winner among those who quit the political front line. He earned up to £350,000 last year from speeches, articles and television programmes.

Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt topped the list of ministers who enjoy free trips and corporate hospitality. Tory leader Michael Howard admitted to going on a cruise to Casablanca with Saga.