David Cameron's front-bench MPs and peers hold more than 115 paid directorships and other outside jobs, in addition to their political roles, research by the FT has revealed.

The sheer scale of outside interests is sparking concern within the party that Tory "part-timers" lack the discip-line needed to defeat Labour. But the MPs defend their second jobs, arguing exposure to business im-proves their political performance. Analysis of the most recent registers of MPs and peers' interests shows the opposition front bench is pursuing an eclectic, and in some cases highly lucrative, range of parallel careers to supplement their Westminster pay.