SHADOW Home Secretary and Richmond MP William Hague is expected to announce today that he will begin winding down his outside interests in the lead-up to the next general election.

Mr Hague is to end his business and speaking commitments to focus purely on politics.

He is a director of AES Engineering and computer company AMT-SYBEX, and a Parliamentary adviser to the JCB Group and City firm Terra Firma Capital Partner, as well as writing regular newspaper columns and delivering speeches.

It is expected that his positions with all the companies will end from September.

The news was reported on the Tory grassroots webpage ConservativeHome last night.