THE other day, William Hague made his first speech in the House of Commons since returning to the back benches. But foot-and-mouth, which brought him to his feet, is by no means the only matter which has occupied the MP for Richmond since he quit the Tory leadership.

Mr Hague has secured a £45,000-a-year job as political and economic adviser to JCB, makers of the eponymous heavy construction equipment. For an undisclosed fee, he will also sit on the board of an engineering company, AES.

Strangely for a man usually quick with an apt word, Mr Hague has been silent on his appointments. But The Daily Telegraph, almost certainly well-informed, reported: "Friends say Mr Hague is keen to devote most of his time both to his constituency and to Westminster, where he wants to remain an active participant.''

Well, I say, that's damn good of him. What could more laudable than wanting to be actively involved at one's place of work? Such selfless commitment within the bounds of duty is absolutely breathtaking.

Of course, Mr Hague isn't the first MP to take outside paid work or positions. The clear inference is that they are neglecting their primary job - or it doesn't provide them with enough to do. Attending to the concerns of his 65,000 electors, scattered across the largest constituency in England, still leaves Mr Hague with thumb-twiddling time.

More staggering is our (the public's) meek acceptance of the MPs' well-oiled "extra-mural" gravy train. The only protest at Mr Hague's appointments has come from the Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib-Dem MP, Phil Willis, who rightly condemns the concept of "part-time'' MPs. Though he didn't say so, they are our equivalent of MPs who once sat for "rotten boroughs'' - depopulated areas that still sent MPs to Westminster, until our wrath stopped the abuse.

Those "friends'' of Mr Hague say he has every intention of contesting his Richmond seat at the next election. You bet. The near-£50,000 salary is a firm enough foundation on which to erect a larger edifice of earnings. And, while companies might be happy to welcome an ex-Tory leader on board, an ex-MP might soon use up their enthusiasm.

A WEEK ago I suggested that Baroness Morgan's return from her recently-created post as Cabinet Minister responsible for women's affairs to Tony Blair's inner circle of political advisers demonstrated that aides to the Prime Minister carry more clout than Cabinent ministers.

Now, former Cabinet minister Mo Mowlam, better placed than I to know the exact picture, confirms the new disposition of power. Asked whether unelected advisers, like Baroness Morgan, a member of Mr Blair's staff who was given a life peerage after the general election, wielded more influence than ministers, she said: "They seemed to be operating instead of the Cabinet".

Yes. Developing a trend started by Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair is now Britain's President. But he is elected as no more than MP for Sedgefield. Perhaps we should be asked if we want a president. And if we do, perhaps we should vote for one.