The leader that Tory MPs really want is William Hague

That’s the view of Simon Heffer in this week’s Spectator.

Mr Heffer says that Mr Hague was simply too young to assume the leadership in 1997 yet… “it was also an experience from which someone so fundamentally intelligent as Mr Hague could not fail to learn, and he did”. Mr Heffer continues:

”Mr Hague professes a mainstream Conservatism that is compatible with much of the rest of his party, and which can easily inspire them. He has a persona to which the public has warmed. Earlier criticisms of his unsuitability because of his West Riding accent or his lack of hair now seem irrelevant: he is manifestly the man to lead his party, for he is head and shoulders above every other candidate in every respect.”

Mr Heffer believes that William Hague’s earning power is one of the reasons why he doesn’t want to come back as leader or serve in a senior frontbench position. Of this Mr Heffer is excoriating:

”We should hope that Mr Hague is too honourable a man to put the hundreds of thousands he can make from after-dinner speaking before the dire need of his party. Politics should be a vocation, not a springboard for financial rapaciousness. If Mr Hague really can’t be bothered to put himself at his party’s disposal at a time when it needs him badly, then he should resign as a Member of Parliament altogether, and leave his Richmond seat to someone more willing to roll up his or her sleeves in this emergency and get stuck in.”

Comments

[Wat Tyler]

What is Heffer on?

Hague has many fine qualities, but it would be ludicrous to go back now. It may be unfortunate that he was elected leader far too young (and elected of course by those oh so astute MPs- all on their own), but we are where we are.

And Ed, that's without even mentioning his funny voice and bald head, or his 1950s take on things like baseball caps, drinking 14 pints, and 'a foreign land'.

Don't look back. The future not the past.

[Ray Davies]

"Hague has many fine qualities, but it would be ludicrous to go back now."

Hague now would be a far better leader than David Davis.

In fact, I wonder who William Hague will vote for, he probably has his own views on Mr Davis and his oh so loyal lieutenants.

When David Davis becomes leader he will be interesting to see how those people he has stabbed in the back in the past, will now treat him.

[Mark O'Brien]

'Earlier criticisms of his unsuitability because of his West Riding accent or his lack of hair now seem irrelevant'

Strictly speaking, Hague doesn't have a West Riding accent. He was born in Rotherham, which is in South Yorkshire, and his constituency today is in North Yorkshire. I don't think he has any links with West Yorkshire.

(I just thought I'd make that clear as a West Yorkshireman myself!)

[Wat Tyler]

Ray- despite having your Greatest Hits in the car, I think you're wrong about DD's chums trying to shaft Hague. You're thinking of the Portillistas- see eg Tory Wars.

Our Man was busy chairing the PAC at the time- trying to stop New Labour blowing all our hard-earned dosh.

[Jack Stone]

David Davis and the right-wing nutters who support him in Parliament briefed against Hauge for the whole of the time he was leader. Why do you think Hauge doesn`t back Davis for leader. Not only that DD and his friends have tryed stabbing all of the leaders we have had since Major in the back. The reason DD as many enemies at Westminister is because he and his friends are self-serving back stabbers who only fools would back to lead the party.
Personally I suspect that if Davis does become leader the party will once again be at war with itself and within two years an IDS coup will happen once again.

[The Political Thinker]

Hague is long gone. Let’s forget about him as leader of the party – Whether he wants to or not, it’s preposterous to think a failed leader could come back and save the party. It’s true that he was elected as leader too soon, but what has happened has happened and we must now look to the future as opposed to being stuck in the past reminiscing.

I admit that Hague was a better leader than Davis could ever be, but let’s be realistic.

[James Hellyer]

I think it's time to ignore Simon Heffer.

[James]

I find it odd that when William was first leader people were exceedingly critical of his leadership style and conduct. Now, according to some commentators, he is supposed to be the Saviour of the Conservative Party. No wonder he is reluctant to return to the frontline. He gave up the best years of his life to be the leader of the Party. I don't see why he should return when the Party was so damn ungrateful!

[Richard Allen]

Simon Heffer is spot on. Hague was quite liked by the public, people just didn't think he looked like a man ready to be Prime Minister. His stature has grown a great deal in the last 4 years and I think he would be viewed very differently this time round.

[Mark O'Brien]

Perhaps Hague has the quality that people often pin on Clarke - the ability to appeal to people when he is unrestrained by office. It's hard to put your finger on it, but some high-profile Conservatives do appeal to many people because they're funny or clever or just 'nice guys' in a way that they wouldn't if they were leader, largely because we seek something different from a leader. We don't just want a nice guy, but someone with a good blend of popular appeal, intelligence, and a vision for a better society. The question is: does William Hague have that? I can't be entirely certain that he has the right blend, although he is certainly further proof of the wide array of talent on the Conservative benches.

[houndtang]

Please, William Hague was a disastrous leader and a laughing stock. He knows it himself and to his credit has found a new life for himself away from frontline politics.

[malcolm]

Hague is an intelligent man and a truly gifted debater but he has for me blotted his copybook badly during the past four years.I am utterly fed up with Conservative Party 'big beasts'such as Hague,Portillo &Clarke regarding themselves as a kind of 'non-executive'Directors of the party and refusing to put in more than a couple of days a month whenever they felt like it.

Hague may have the talent to be leader but he will have put in the hours as a shadow minister before he can even be considered for it again.

Also I think being recommended by Simon Heffer is the kiss of death.I wonder if Theresa May had him in mind when she spoke about us as the 'nasty' party.

A more mean spirited, narrow minded journalist it would be hard to find.

[Jack Stone]

William Hauge is head and shoulders above any other Conservative Member of Parliament.

In my opinion every single Conservative MP should go to him and get down on there hands and knee`s and beg him to become leader.

He is the party`s most popular MP and I am sure if he were leader at the next election the party would walk into Downing Street.

[Blimpish]

Quite like Hague myself, and I don't think it's a bad thing that he led before. The public warmed to him after he lost so well (i.e., didn't hang around like a bad smell), but it also means he's been through it all once and is now older and wiser.

John Howard in Australia is a retread, incidentally - was crushed in the mid-1980s and came back later.

This isn't to say I back anybody other than DD; only that Hague's the only other potential candidate I'd consider.

[Cllr John Ireland]

People say the DD has back stabbed everyone in the Parliamentary party in the back but then hasn't everyone else! Look what happened to Maggie. Westminster is chock full of self serving twits who have all been selected by their respective constituencies over some first class candidates. We will never regain credibilty until the blue rinse brigade cease selecting the (wrong) type and we get more ORDINARY people on the benches. Politics should be a vocation not a career.

[Malcolm Shykles]

"Second poll puts Tories in the lead By George Jones, Political Editor
(Filed: 05/08/2003)

A Mori poll for the Financial Times yesterday gave the Conservatives a three point lead for the first time.

For the past two months the YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph has shown the Conservatives back in the lead, suggesting the record dominance that Labour has enjoyed for more than a decade is coming to an end."

The Mori poll put the Tories on 38, Labour on 35 and Lib-Dems on 21."

So what idiots deselected IDS?

As one who voted him in I cannot understand why you all debating which dead duck should take his place.

He is still the members' elected leader.