Hague Signals End to Rollercoaster Political Life
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 minutes ago
William Hague's surprise resignation as Britain's foreign secretary is the latest twist in a political career that has seen soaring highs and deep lows.
Now 53, Hague began as a prodigy who first caught public notice when he gave a rousing speech to a Conservative Party conference aged 16....Hague made a return to the forefront of politics when David Cameron won the Conservative leadership in 2005.
Named to be shadow foreign secretary as the Conservatives were in opposition, he won back the support of the party base with popular public speeches and confrontations with Labor in parliament.
By the time he was named foreign secretary after the 2010 election, Cameron had already described him as deputy leader in all but name.
Hague led negotiations to form a government with the Liberal Democrats, as the Conservative Party did not win enough seats to govern alone.
Educated in a local state school in Rotherham in northern England before going to Oxford University, Hague was a contrast in Cameron's team - criticized by Conservative Education Minister Michael Gove as containing a "preposterous" number of alumni from the prestigious private school Eton.
In his four years as Britain's most senior diplomat, Hague navigated the upheaval of the Arab Spring, the Syrian civil war, Russian encroachment into Ukraine and increasing skepticism towards Europe in his own country. [NO, U.S. ENCROACHMENT INTO UKRAINE. LOL.]
Initially seen as a tough eurosceptic at odds with the "compassionate Conservatism" of Cameron's 2010 election campaign, Hague's pragmatic approach to Europe contrasted with the increasingly vocal anti-EU wing of his party.
By 2011 he was accused by a prominent Conservative eurosceptic as having gone soft on Europe, and in January he opposed Conservative rebels who demanded the power to veto EU law, saying the idea was not "realistic".
Writing on Twitter, Hague announced that he would act as leader of the House of Commons until the May 2015 election, when he would leave parliament.
He said he would continue a high-profile campaign against sexual violence in conflict.
"After such a long period in politics I want to embark on many other things I have always wanted to do," Hague wrote on Twitter.
"Renewal in politics is good, and holding office is not an end in itself. After 26 years as an MP time will be right for me to move on." - SourceAgence France Presse-------------------------------------Tokyo Rose article SOURCE - Naharnet - here.
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COMMENT
Wonder what that's all about?
Why did he really step down?
So he starts off a eurosceptic but goes then goes whichever way the political wind blows?
Is Hague saying that UK sovereignty not "realistic"? That's how it looks to me.
Now the UK is owned by the EU / US?
