Hague wishes he entered Parliament 200 years ago

Andrew Billen interviews William Hague in the Times today about his career, and his nostalgia for the era of great parliamentarian William Wilberforce. Comparing Pitt the Younger and Wilberforce, the subjects of his biographies, he says:

"Pitt is the ultimate career politician: Prime Minister at 24, dead at 46, having worked and worried and drunk himself to death. Wilberforce, same age, enters Parliament at the same time, great friend of Pitt, but becomes the ultimate noncareer politician who exercises more influence than most prime ministers while never actually holding office himself.”  

On his own failings as a party leader:

“I’m very interested in foreign affairs and some other areas of policy, but I probably did not have the all-round interest that a party leader needs, and not necessarily the patience to spend every day dealing with everybody’s little complaint that the party leader needs to have. So I think I have certain flaws. Those probably became apparent when I was a party leader! And I’ve no intention of ever doing it again.”

On Cameron's abilities as a party leader:

"It is clear after the last three elections that I think what David Cameron is doing is right, that we have to recapture the centre ground. And he’s set about it very energetically, very effectively. [...] He is very good. He is, all round, the most accomplished politician of all of us who’ve led the party in recent times... I think since Thatcher. But he’s also got real tenacity, which I think people have seen in recent weeks. The media has had a big downer on him this summer, but that hasn’t ruffled him. He has got the steel to come out the other side. I have huge respect for the man, actually. And I wouldn’t be doing it otherwise."

Comments

[Bruges Group NG]

Good of him to put in an appearance.

[Steve Green]

[The media has had a big downer on him this summer, but that hasn’t ruffled him. He has got the steel to come out the other side. I have huge respect for the man, actually. And I wouldn’t be doing it otherwise.]

That's more like it. However this needs to be said in front of a camera.

I've just completed Con Home's survey and I realised that I had not marked the female members of the cabinet very favourably. And then I realised that I can't remember the last time they did anything to make the news.

[Book Worm]

If Hague's popped up does this mean he's got another book out?

[passing leftie]

I didn't think I'd agree with Hague, but I wished he'd entered parliament 200 years ago, as well.

[Yet Another Anon]

It is one of these rather absurd things that people say - what he means is that he rater thinks he would like the way parliament was 200 years ago, usually people want ipods and baseball caps and Sky packages, of course the Westminster Parliament is rather like a working museum.

Pitt is the ultimate career politician: Prime Minister at 24, dead at 46, having worked and worried and drunk himself to death
And if William Hague had been around then he would have struggled to have any hope of becoming a party leader.

The media has had a big downer on him this summer, but that hasn’t ruffled him
The same thing could have been said of Michael Foot in 1983, Norman Lamont in 1991 and Edward Heath for most of his life. Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher and Clement Attlee all got quite ruffled and were all somewhat more successful.

[Steve]

Just imagine how different things might have been if Hague had not pulled out of his agreement to be Howard's deputy in 1997....

If only politicians would see beyond their own ambition.

I only hope Cameron doesn't suffer the same fate.

[James Burdett]

Passing leftie - the thing being that Hague would have been capable of entering parliament 200 years ago and holding his own. Could the same be said of anyone on the left?

[Not a traditional Tory]

The man was a laughing stock when he was leader. I don't know why he now believes the hype and thinks he's some sort of great statesman.

Even IDS was better.

[Yet Another Anon]

Just imagine how different things might have been if Hague had not pulled out of his agreement to be Howard's deputy in 1997
Would it really have made much difference, in terms of policy the two were very similar - in the fact the only difference that springs to mind was over Capital Punishment, otherwise apparent differences merely amounted to William Hague trying to attract John Redwood's supporters in the 1997 campaign and were rhetorical rather than actual.

Otherwise both struggled with what they wanted as their image, the total votes each got were little different and in fact William Hague took over in a situation in which the Conservatives appeared to be in a position where their support was continuing to fall after the General Election, Michael Howard took over the Conservative Party in a situation in which Labour had run into major difficulties, in fact IDS had built up a number of sound policies based on principle that Michael Howard quickly ditched for a tabloid approach.

Neither did very well, but Michael Howard took over in circumstances in which the Conservative Party were on the up, he claimed the credit for the extra Conservative seats when in fact the Conservative vote only edged up and it was the collapsing Labour vote that made the big difference.

[Tony Makara]

William certainly understands the thread of continuity that runs through political history. I think its a great shame that the term 'Career-Politican' has now become synonymous with something unsavoury. A career of public service in politics ought to command respect, sadly that is no longer the case. Much of the blame for this lies with the parties themselves and their selection of career-mongers rather than career-servers.

There are people in parliament today who would not have been fit for office even thirty years ago. Looking at the parties today its possible to count the real heavyweight politicans on one hand. Willam Hauge is definately one of them. However for the most part most MPs could be replaced by another party functionary and they wouldn't be missed.