Simon McGee, Political Editor of the Yorkshire Post, effectively accuses William Hague of being a part-time Shadow Foreign Secretary in this morning's edition of the newspaper:
"William Hague has earned up to £400,000 from after-dinner speeches since returning to the Conservative front bench as David Cameron's top lieutenant. Despite assurances that he would slash his personal business commitments, Mr Hague has not only kept all his non-executive directorships and advisory posts, but added another position during the 15 months since Mr Cameron appointed him Shadow Foreign Secretary and de facto deputy party leader. His portfolio of extra jobs now stands at five. The Yorkshire Post can also reveal that the Richmond MP took time out from the 2005 General Election campaign to act as a paid speaker at five commercial functions, netting him more than £30,000. They included two appearances in London with just a week to go to polling day."
Former MP Michael Bates who is Mr Hague's deputy on the new northern board for the party, rejected the Yorkshire Post's criticism:
"Anyone that knows his work rate knows that his party and const-ituency come first and these he gives great service to. He spends 95 per cent of his time working for the party. His income has fallen by two-thirds in terms of speaking engagements since he returned."
I don't know who would pay Hague so much but it would be nice if he had a full-time focus on something. We have just had a further 2 years of Blair and his Loony Left Crusaders because the Conservatives were so dilletantish in the 2005 Election.
Now we see that Hague took a break for a cash-injection which must enthuse those few activists the Conservative Party can still get to turn out on a rainy day. And he is in charge of Northern seats ? Don't count on winning many with a man who seems to be keen to adorn his CV with titles rather than achievement.
If he continues like this the Conservatives can forget seats in the North of England
Posted by: ToMTom | March 17, 2007 at 11:04
Is there some suggestion that he is not doing his job properly, or that his engagements conflict with his position?
Posted by: Ken Adams | March 17, 2007 at 11:27
Team Cameron and team Davis were desperate to get Hague back into politics. Those same people cannot now complain that he's still pursuing his business interests. He told Cameron that was his price for taking the FCO job.
Posted by: Jennifer Wells | March 17, 2007 at 11:50
The issue Jennifer Wells is that Mr Hague isn't just shadow Foreign Secretary but he is also supposed to be spearheading our party's northern revival. He is also writing a book on Wilberforce and he has got all these business interests. Can he really do all of those things well?
Posted by: Umbrella Man | March 17, 2007 at 12:14
What ever his work rate, it will still be ten times better than, Oliver (just popped in from Rothchilds) Letwin!!!
Posted by: david | March 17, 2007 at 12:19
Quick heads up: there's a rather glaring typo in "Shadow Cabinet" in the banner at the top.
Anyway, I'm not really bothered if he has outside concerns. As long as those outside interests don't create a conflict of interests, good luck to him.
Posted by: EdR | March 17, 2007 at 12:26
We should demand the editor be sacked for discriminating against Hague's over his work ethic and competence. We cant all be as good as Prescott and its about time the public realised its the Labour party who care about this country.
Imagine the shame for poor mr Hague? See still the nasty Tory Party; wealthy, hardworking, speaks English, Why couldnt he be more like a real caring politician, like Prescott. He is showing the NuLabour way forward, gets paid for NOT declaring trips to see a billionaire and costs 2.3 million a year with NO job.
"And let me tell you this, since 1997 we have made record investment in john prescott, he has delivered the highest growth, the lowest levels of interest among g8 countries, record number of consecutive quarters of growth, record opportunities for women and the community and unlike his opposite number has not used his priviliged background or fancy education to steal 5 jobs from honest people. The next election will be about policies, we've got Prescott what have you got?"
Sadly I can see Blair saying it
Posted by: Steve | March 17, 2007 at 13:06
He works several times as hard as Maude, who amazingly has outside interests as party chairman.
Posted by: Iain Stewart | March 17, 2007 at 13:07
It's not surprising that Hague registers on the popularity scale.
He's one of the few members of this ultra-shadowy Shadow Cabinet of whom anybody has actually heard!
The cult of "Dave" to the exclusion of all others is becoming utterly ridiculous.
Posted by: Alex Forsyth | March 17, 2007 at 13:26
It does take time to wind down different interests and longer term diary commitments.
We will start to see how effective he is in the Northern local elections in a few weeks.
But already on the European issue by putting in place an alternative to the EPP he has done more than his predecessors.
Posted by: HF | March 17, 2007 at 13:27
From a "northern" perspective I have been disappointed with Mr Hague - supposedly shadow minister for Leeds & Bradford as well as heading this northern group. As an initiative it was announced in a blaze of silence and there's been nothing, even in the local press, since. It's a good job that we have an excellent local party in our constituency
Posted by: Paul D | March 17, 2007 at 13:49
Career Conservatives and jobs for the 'tory' boys. What's new?
Posted by: Lord Cashcroft | March 17, 2007 at 13:55
"Is there some suggestion that he is not doing his job properly?"
Yes. Popping up to make the occasional remark on TV, or even a speech here and there, is not doing much. As someone said, he's supposed to be leading the Tory revival in the North.
If our guys were half as focused as the Lib Dems, we'd win more seats. Simple.
Of course, if you do want the old-fashioned (and I admit attractive - it does have real advantages) idea of the part-time MP, then Hague is perfect.
Posted by: ToryMemoryMan | March 17, 2007 at 14:16
If our guys were half as focused as the Lib Dems, we'd win more seats. Simple. - TMM.
I have to agree!
Posted by: Justin Hinchcliffe | March 17, 2007 at 14:33
I can understand the northern perspective I think the argument is that Hague is not fulfilling his duties if that is correct I suppose the answer to my question is that his outside interests are interfering with his job.
Generally I would have thought the last we need is a set of career politicians devoting all their time dreaming up new ways to create problems for the normal citizen. Considering this government has been producing legislation like it was going out of fashion the less time they spend on their day job the better, perhaps we should suggest a moratorium on new legislation and give them all a few months off.
Posted by: Ken Adams | March 17, 2007 at 15:06
Sorry ToryMemoryMan I did not see your post.
Posted by: Ken Adams | March 17, 2007 at 15:07
William Hauge is doing an excellent job. I think having outside interests and not being totally focused on politics actually makes Hauge a better more rounded person.
We only have to look at this site with the many political obsessives what being obsessed with politics makes you. Sad and in many cases downright nasty!
Posted by: Jack Stone | March 17, 2007 at 15:49
We cant all be as good as Prescott
True...we can't all be Deputy Prime Minister for 10 years and hold so many Northern seats, but they manage and Conservatives content themselves will nice little earners because they simply love living under a Labour Government
Why not give Hague a challenge and tell him to win 25 seats in West + South Yorkshire ?
Posted by: ToMTom | March 17, 2007 at 16:00
I think having outside interests and not being totally focused on politics actually makes Hauge a better more rounded person.
Oh yes-- well-rounded....not the description people would apply to Hague who is simply a careerist and probably won't be too upset if Labour wins a fourth term
Posted by: ToMTom | March 17, 2007 at 16:01
Jack, I know you never listen to anybody else but just for once listen to me. It is William HAGUE not William HAUGE.
Posted by: malcolm | March 17, 2007 at 19:30
Malcolm - don't spoil the fun. Jack Stone's idiosyncratic spelling and grammar have become one of the joys of this site.
As to William Hague, he is just one more of the party's proven losers who, along with Clarke, Hurd, Gummer and others have been pulled into Mr Cameron's inner circle.
Posted by: John Coles | March 17, 2007 at 21:54
Malcolm - don't spoil the fun. Jack Stone's idiosyncratic spelling and grammar have become one of the joys of this site.
Yes, they are totally bizarre and frequently snigger-provoking, as they are intended to be. Somebody ought to compile a collection of his howlers.
I still can't make up my mind exactly which party "Jack Stone" represents or what he is trying to achieve.
It's one of the great mysteries of our time.
Posted by: Alex Forsyth | March 18, 2007 at 01:19
William Hague can make a staggeringly brilliant speech with pretty much no preparation, so I don't think he's public speaking will take up as much time as people might worry.
And having MPs who are willing and able to write books seems to me to be a jolly good idea.
He's good news, and we're lucky he's back in the Shadow Cabinet. I think his commitment to the Party is unquestionable.
Posted by: Tom Greeves | March 18, 2007 at 01:45
Sorry:
'he's public speaking' should have read 'his public speaking'.
Posted by: Tom Greeves | March 18, 2007 at 01:46
Hague's outside interests meant that he only visited Brussels ONCE when he was supposed to be finding partners for our new group in the European Parliament. Since the "sell out", Hague has had little time to put into the Movement for European Reform, a fig leaf for Dave's closet Europhilia. Sadly, Hague's main commitment is to his bank balance. He has been a a huge disappointment since his return to the frontbench.
Posted by: Ex candidate | March 18, 2007 at 14:19
Sadly, Hague's main commitment is to his bank balance. He has been a a huge disappointment since his return to the frontbench.
My once high opinion of Hague has taken a nosedive since he joined Dave's circle of supposed admirers.
I suspect he's playing for an end game here, but I'm not sure he's going about it the right way.
Nevertheless, his spirited performance on TV this morning reminded me that when he was leader we still had a party of which we could be proud.
Posted by: Alex Forsyth | March 18, 2007 at 15:49
City Region
Now that William Hague is in charge of revitalising Conservatives in the North does he or the Conservative Party have anything to say on this latest bit of Anti-democratic Corporatism by the New Gulag Party in Westminster
Posted by: TomTom | March 19, 2007 at 13:06