Statement from William Hague revealing that his special adviser, Christopher Myers, has quit
By Tim Montgomerie, Jonathan Isaby and Paul Goodman
William Hague has just issued the below statement explaining that his special adviser, Christopher Myers, has resigned amid media pressure over "untrue and malicious allegations". Mr Myers' decision is understandable given that he and his family have been beseiged by tabloid journalists in recent days.
Mr Hague denies he has ever had a relationship with a man and reveals that his wife, Ffion, has suffered a series of miscarriages. The couple's childlessness has always fed the speculation that the marriage was somehow unreal. It is very sad that Mr and Mrs Hague felt that they had no alternative than to go public with intensely private details because of what Mr Hague insists is malicious and false speculation. In his statement, Mr Hague concedes that sharing twin rooms with an aide has given ammunition to the sources of gossip. Hopefully with the resignation of Chistophers Myers, Mr Hague can get on with the job of being an energetic and effective Foreign Secretary. This has not been an episode that reflects well on some elements of the blogosphere and the mainstream media:
"I feel it is necessary to issue this personal statement in response to press and internet speculation over the last ten days. Earlier this year a Sunday newspaper began questioning whether my marriage to Ffion was in trouble, and last week another media outlet asked whether there was a statement about our supposed separation. This seemed to be linked to equally untrue speculation surrounding the appointment of Christopher Myers as a Special Adviser. Christopher Myers has demonstrated commitment and political talent over the last eighteen months. He is easily qualified for the job he holds. Any suggestion that his appointment was due to an improper relationship between us is utterly false, as is any suggestion that I have ever been involved in a relationship with any man.
"This speculation seems to stem from the fact that whilst campaigning before the election we occasionally shared twin hotel rooms. Neither of us would have done so if we had thought that it in any way meant or implied something else. In hindsight I should have given greater consideration to what might have been made of that, but this is in itself no justification for allegations of this kind, which are untrue and deeply distressing to me, to Ffion and to Christopher.
"He has now told me that, as a result of the pressure on his family from the untrue and malicious allegations made about him, he does not wish to continue in his position. It is a pity that a talented individual should feel that he needs to leave his job in this way. Ffion and I believe that everyone has a right to a private life. However, we now feel it necessary to give some background to our marriage because we have had enough of this continued and hurtful speculation about us. I have made no secret of the fact that Ffion and I would love to start a family. For many years this has been our goal. Sadly this has proved more difficult for us than for most couples. We have encountered many difficulties and suffered multiple miscarriages, and indeed are still grieving for the loss of a pregnancy this summer. We are aware that the stress of infertility can often strain a marriage, but in our case, thankfully, it has only brought us closer together.
"It has been an immensely traumatic and painful experience but our marriage is strong and we will face whatever the future brings together. Several years ago one Sunday paper reported that Ffion was three months pregnant, without ever checking the story with us. This made even more difficult the fact that we had only just experienced another disappointment. We have never made this information public because of the distress it would cause to our families and would not do so now were it not for the untrue rumours circulating which repeatedly call our marriage into question. We wish everyone to know that we are very happily married.
"It is very regrettable to have to make this personal statement, but we have often said to each other ‘if only they knew the truth…’ Well, this is the straightforward truth. I will not be making any further comment on these matters.”
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