Moe Howard and William Hague: Difference between pages

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{{dablink|This article is about the British politician. For the Babylon 5 character see [[General William Hague]]. For the boxer, see [[William 'Iron' Hague]].}}
{{Infobox actor
{{POV-check|date=February 2008}}
| name = Moe Howard
{{Infobox Minister
| image = Horowitzmosesphoto.jpg
| honorific-prefix = <small>[[The Right Honourable]]</small><br />
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Howard in 1933.
| name = William Hague
| honorific-suffix = <br><small>[[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|PC]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]]</small></br>
| birthname = Harry Moses Horwitz
| image = William Hague with poppy.jpg
| birthdate = {{birth date|1897|6|19|mf=y}}
| birthplace = [[Brownsville, New York]]
| office = [[Shadow Foreign Secretary]]
| term_start = 6 December 2005
| deathdate = {{death date and age|1975|5|4|1897|6|19}}
| term_end =
| deathplace = [[Los Angeles, California]]
| leader = [[David Cameron]]
([[Lung Cancer]])
| predecessor = [[Liam Fox]]
| yearsactive = 1909-1975
| successor =
| spouse = [[Helen Schonberger]]<BR>(1925-1975)
| office2 = [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| term_start2 = 19 June 1997
| term_end2 = 18 September 2001
| predecessor2 = [[John Major]]
| successor2 = [[Iain Duncan Smith]]
| office3 = [[Secretary of State for Wales]]
| term_start3 = 5 July 1995
| term_end3 = 2 May 1997
| primeminister3 = [[John Major]]
| predecessor3 = [[David Hunt]]
| successor3 = [[Ron Davies (British politician)|Ron Davies]]
| constituency_MP4=[[Richmond, North Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond (Yorks)]]
| majority4 = 17,807 (39.4%)
| term_start4 = 23 February 1989
| term_end4 =
| predecessor4 = [[Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne|Leon Brittan]]
| successor4 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|3|26}}
| birth_place = [[Rotherham]], [[South Yorkshire]], [[England]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]]
| spouse = Ffion Jenkins
| party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = [[Magdalen College, Oxford|Magdalen College]], [[Oxford]]
| occupation =
| profession = [[Management consulting|Management consultant]]
| religion = [[Church of England]]
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
}}


'''William Jefferson Hague''' (born 26 March 1961) is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[politician]]. He is the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Richmond (Yorks) (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond (Yorks)]] and [[Shadow Foreign Secretary]]. He previously served as [[leaders of the Conservative Party|leader of the Conservative Party]] between 1997 and 2001.
'''Moe Howard''' ([[June 19]], [[1897]] – [[May 4]], [[1975]]) was one of the [[Three Stooges]], the [[slapstick]] comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades. His distinctive hairstyle came about when he was a boy and cut off his curls with a pair of [[scissors]], producing a ragged shape approximating a [[helmet]].


First elected to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] in a [[Richmond (Yorks) by-election, 1989|by-election in 1989]], Hague rose through the ranks of [[John Major]]'s government and entered the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] in 1995 as the [[Secretary of State for Wales]]. Following the Conservatives' defeat in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 general election]], he was [[Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 1997|elected as leader of the Conservative Party]]. He resigned as party leader after the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 general election]] following a landslide defeat to the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. He was the first leader of the Conservatives not to have become Prime Minister since [[Austen Chamberlain]] in the early 1920s.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Moe was born '''Moses Harry Horwitz''' in the [[Brooklyn, New York]] neighborhood of [[Brownsville]] to Solomon Horwitz and Jennie Gorovitz. He was the fourth of the five Horwitz brothers and of [[Levite]] and [[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian Jewish]] ancestry. In his younger years, he got the nickname Moe. Although his parents were not involved in show business, Moe, his older brother [[Shemp Howard|Samuel]], and younger brother [[Curly Howard|Jerome]], all eventually became world-famous as members of the Three Stooges.


On the [[backbencher|backbenches]] Hague began a career as an author, writing [[biography|biographies]] on [[William Pitt the Younger]] and [[William Wilberforce]]. He also held several directorships, and worked as a [[consultant]] and [[public speaker]]; the combined annual income of these activities was estimated to be around £1 million, one of the highest in Parliament.
In school, Moe originally did quite well, aided by a prolific memory, able to quickly memorize anything. In later years, this helped him in his acting career, making memorizing his lines quick and easy. Moe loved reading, as his older brother Jack commented: "I had many [[Horatio Alger]] books and it was Moe's greatest pleasure to read them. They started his imaginative mind working and gave him ideas by the dozen. I think they were instrumental in putting thoughts into his head to become a person of good character and to become successful."<ref name="Moe"/>


After [[David Cameron]] was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 2005, Hague returned to front line politics as Shadow Foreign Secretary.
Although his "[[bowl-cut]]" hairstyle is now widely recognized, as a child his mother refused to cut his hair, letting it grow to shoulder length. One day, he could not take his classmates' years of teasing any longer, sneaked off to a shed in his parents' back yard, and with the help of a friend and a mixing bowl, cut his hair. Moe was so afraid his mother would be upset (she enjoyed curling his hair) that he hid under the house for several hours, causing a panic. He finally came out and his mother was so glad to see him that she did not even mention the hair.


==Early life==
Moe began to develop an interest in acting and, as a result, his schoolwork suffered. He began playing hooky from school in order to attend theater shows. Moe said, "I used to stand outside the theater knowing the truant officer was looking for me. I would stand there 'til someone came along and then ask them to buy my ticket. It was necessary for an adult to accompany a juvenile into the theater. When I succeeded I'd give him my ten cents — that's all it cost — and I'd go up to the top of the balcony where I'd put my chin on the rail and watch, spellbound, from the first act to the last. I would usually select the actor I liked the most and follow his performance throughout the play."<ref name="Moe">{{cite book
Hague was born in [[Rotherham]] in [[Yorkshire]], and was educated at [[Wath Comprehensive School|Wath-upon-Dearne Comprehensive]] in [[Rotherham]].
| last = Howard
| first = Moe
| authorlink = Moe Howard
| coauthors =
| title = ''Moe Howard and the Three Stooges''
| publisher = Broadway Publishing
| date = 1977, rev. 1979
| location =
| pages =
| url = http://www.amazon.com/dp/0806507233
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 978-0806507231}}</ref>


He first made the national news at the age of 16 by speaking at the Conservative Party's 1977 national conference. In his speech he told the attendees, "Half of you won't be here in 30 or 40 years' time", but that others would have to live with consequences of a Labour government if it stayed in power.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/6967366.stm|title=Your favourite Conference Clips|date=3 October 2007|work=[[The Daily Politics]]|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]]|accessdate=2008-09-28}}</ref>
Despite his decreasing attendance Moe graduated from P.S. 163 in Brooklyn, but he dropped out of [[Erasmus Hall High School]] after only two months. This was the end of his formal education. To mollify his parents he took a class in electric shop, but quit after a few months to pursue a career in show business.<ref name="Moe"/>


Subsequently, Hague went to [[Magdalen College, Oxford]], where he was President of both the [[Oxford University Conservative Association]] (OUCA) and the [[Oxford Union]], a noted route to political office[citation needed]. Hague studied [[Philosophy, Politics and Economics|PPE]] at Oxford, graduating with first-class honours. Following university, Hague went on to study for a [[Master of Business Administration]] degree at the business school [[INSEAD]]. Hague then worked as a [[management consultant]] at [[McKinsey & Company]], where [[Archie Norman]] was his mentor.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2001/mar/20/profiles.parliament|title=Archie Norman|publisher=The Guardian|date=20 March 2001|accessdate=2008-04-06}}</ref>
Moe began by running errands for no fee at the [[Vitagraph Studios]] in [[Midwood]], Brooklyn (currently the home of the [[CBS]] daytime serial ''[[As the World Turns]]''), where he was rewarded with bit parts in movies being made there. Unfortunately, a fire at the studios in 1910 destroyed the film of most of Moe's work done there. In 1909 he met a young man named [[Ted Healy|Lee Nash]] who would later provide a significant boost to Moe's career aspirations. In 1912, they both held a summer job working in [[Annette Kellerman]]'s aquatic act as diving "girls."<ref name="Moe"/>


==Member of Parliament==
===Career===
He was first an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for [[Wentworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Wentworth]] in [[United Kingdom general election, 1987|1987]], but was then elected to Parliament in a by-election as member for [[Richmond, North Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond, North Yorkshire]] in 1989, succeeding former [[Home Secretary]] [[Leon Brittan]]. Following his election he was the youngest Conservative MP.
Moe continued his attempts at gaining show business experience by singing in a bar with his older brother [[Shemp Howard|Shemp]] until their father put a stop to it, and in 1914 joining a performing troupe on a [[Mississippi River]] showboat for the next two summers. In 1921, he joined [[Ted Healy|Lee Nash]], who was now firmly established in show business as [[Ted Healy]], in a vaudeville routine. In 1923, Moe spotted Shemp watching the show and yelled at him from the stage. Shemp and Moe heckled each other to a large positive response from the audience and Healy hired Shemp as a permanent part of the act. Next, Healy recruited a vaudeville violinist, [[Larry Fine]], in 1925, to join the comedy troupe, which was billed as "Ted Healy and His Racketeers" (later changed to Ted Healy and His Stooges).<ref name="Moe"/>


===In government===
On June 7, 1925, Moe Howard married Helen Schonberger, a cousin of magician [[Harry Houdini]]. The next year, Helen pressured Moe to leave the stage, as she was pregnant and wanted Moe nearer to home. Moe attempted to earn a living in a succession of "normal" jobs, none of which was very successful. He soon returned to working with Ted Healy.<ref name="Moe"/>
Despite only having recently entered Parliament, Hague became part of the government in 1990, serving as [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] for the then-[[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] [[Norman Lamont]].<ref name="profile">{{citeweb|url=http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4680|title=Rt Hon William Hague MP - profile|publisher=|date=|accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref> After Lamont was sacked in 1993, Hague moved to the [[Department of Social Security]] where he was [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State]]. The following year he was promoted to [[Minister of State]] at the DSS with responsibility for Social Security and Disabled People.<ref name="profile"/> His fast rise up through the government is attributed to his intelligence and skills in debate.<ref name="BBC profile">{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2163208.stm|title=William Hague|publisher=BBC News|date=16 October 2002|accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref>


He entered the Cabinet in 1995 as [[Secretary of State for Wales]].<ref name="profile"/> Hague made a good impression at the [[Welsh Office]]; his predecessor [[John Redwood]] had been heavily criticised in the role. Resolving not to repeat Redwood's attempt to mime the [[Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau|Welsh national anthem]] at a public event, Hague asked a Welsh Office civil servant, Ffion Jenkins, to teach him the words; they would later marry.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1308157.stm|title='Spin doctor' grooms Ffion's election look|publisher=BBC News|date=2 May 2001|accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref> He continued serving in the Cabinet until the Conservatives were removed from power in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 general election]].
By 1930, Ted Healy and his Stooges were on the verge of "the big time," and made their first movie, ''[[Soup to Nuts]]'' — featuring Ted Healy, and his four Stooges (Moe, Shemp, Larry, and one-shot Stooge Fred Sanborn) — for Fox Films (later [[Twentieth Century-Fox]]). Shemp had never seen eye-to-eye with the hard-drinking and sometimes belligerent Healy, and left the group shortly after filming in order to pursue a solo film career. After a short search for a replacement, Moe suggested his youngest brother, Jerome ("Jerry" to his friends, "Babe" to Moe and Shemp). Healy originally passed on Jerry, but Jerry was so eager to join the act that he shaved off his luxuriant auburn mustache and hair and ran on stage during Healy's routine. Healy hired Jerry, who took the stage name of "Curly."<ref name="Moe"/>


===Leadership of the Conservative Party===
Healy and the Stooges were hired by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] as "nut" comics, to liven up feature films and short subjects with their antics. After a number of appearances in MGM films, Healy was being groomed as a solo character comedian. With Healy pursuing his own career, his Stooges (now christened '''The Three Stooges''') signed with [[Columbia Pictures]] where they stayed until December 1959, making 190 short films.<ref name="Moe"/>
Following the 1997 general election defeat, Hague was elected as the leader the Conservative Party in succession to [[John Major]], defeating more experienced figures such as [[Kenneth Clarke]] and [[Michael Howard]]. At the age of 36, Hague was tasked with rebuilding the Conservative Party by attempting to build a more modern image. £250,000 was spent on the 'Listening to Britain' campaign to try and put the Conservatives back in the touch with the public after losing power; he was also influenced by the "[[compassionate conservatism]]" ideology of the then-[[Governor of Texas]] [[George W. Bush]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/317507.stm|title=The all new William Hague|publisher=BBC News|date=13 April 1999|accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref>


Hague's leadership came under constant attack and his tenure was widely considered a failure{{Fact|date=June 2008}}. Some commentators viewed him as ill-prepared, or 'unelectable', as Opposition Leader {{Fact|date=June 2008}}. Hague himself feels his image never did recover after the first few months, when various public-relations exercises backfired disastrously. On one of these occasions he visited a [[theme park]] and he, his Chief of Staff [[Sebastian Coe]] and the local MP took a ride on a [[log flume]] wearing baseball caps emblazoned with the word 'HAGUE'. [[Cecil Parkinson]] described the exercise as "juvenile".
With Healy's departure, Moe's character assumed Healy's previous role of the aggressive, take-charge leader of the Three Stooges: a short-tempered bully, prone to slapstick violence against the other two Stooges. In many ways, this was the antithesis of Moe Howard's real personality; he was quiet, loving, and generous to his friends and family. He was also a shrewd businessman, and invested the money made from his film career wisely. However, the Stooges got no subsequent royalties from any of their many shorts: they were paid a flat amount for each one and Columbia owned the rights (and profits) thereafter.<ref name="Moe"/>


During the 1998 Conservative Party Conference in [[Bournemouth]], the tabloid ''[[The Sun (newspaper)|Sun's]]'' front page infamously read (referencing [[Monty Python]]'s "[[Dead Parrot]]" sketch), ''"This party is no more&nbsp;... it has ceased to be&nbsp;... this is an ex-party. Cause of death: suicide."''
In 1934, Columbia released its first Three Stooges short, ''[[Woman Haters]]'', where their stooge characters were not quite finalized. It was not a Stooge comedy in the classic sense, but rather a romantic farce; Columbia was then making a series of two-reel "Musical Novelties" with the dialogue spoken in rhyme, and the Stooges were recruited to support comedienne [[Marjorie White]]. Only after the Stooges became established as short-subject stars were the main titles changed to give the Stooges top billing. The version seen on TV and video today is this reissue print.<ref name="Moe"/>


Hague's authority was put in doubt with the promotion of [[Michael Portillo]] to the role of Shadow Chancellor in 2000{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Within days Portillo reversed Conservative opposition to two of Labour's flagship policies, the [[minimum wage]] and independence of the [[Bank of England]]. From then and until the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 General Election]] Hague's supporters, led by [[Amanda Platell]], fought an increasingly bitter battle with those of Portillo. Platell has said that she advised Hague to abandon the "fresh start" theme and to follow his instincts{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. This led to a number of further mistakes, such as the claim that he used to drink "14&nbsp;pints of beer a day" when he was a teenager.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/871543.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Hague: I drank 14&nbsp;pints a day}}</ref>
Their next film, ''[[Punch Drunks]]'', was the only short film that was written entirely by the Three Stooges, with Curly as a reluctant boxer who goes ballistic every time he hears "[[Pop Goes the Weasel]]." Their next short, ''[[Men in Black (1934 film)|Men in Black]]'' (a parody of the hospital drama ''Men in White'') was their first and only film to be nominated for an [[Academy Award]] (with the classic catchphrase, "Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard"). They continued making short films at a steady pace of eight per year, such as ''[[Three Little Pigskins]]'' (with a very young [[Lucille Ball]]), ''[[Pop Goes the Easel]]'', ''[[Hoi Polloi (1935 film)|Hoi Polloi]]'' (where two professors make a bet trying to turn the Three Stooges into gentlemen), and many others.<ref name="Moe"/>


Hague's reputation suffered further damage towards the end of his leadership, with a 2001 poll for the [[Daily Telegraph]] finding that 66% of voters considered him to be "a bit of a wally" and 70% of voters believed he would "say almost anything to win votes".<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/talking_politics/1162569.stm|title=Poll monitor: Labour looks hard to beat|publisher=BBC News|date=9 February 2001}}</ref>
[[Image:Emilstooge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|A promotional picture taken in 1975 (after Larry Fine's death), from left to right, Curly Joe DeRita, Moe Howard (who died shortly thereafter) and [[Emil Sitka]].]]
In the 1940s, the Three Stooges became topical, making several anti-Nazi movies including ''[[You Nazty Spy!]]'' (Moe's favorite Three Stooges film), ''[[I'll Never Heil Again]]'', and ''[[They Stooge to Conga]]''. Moe's impersonation of [[Adolf Hitler]] highlighted these shorts, the first of which preceded [[Charles Chaplin]]'s controversial film satire, ''[[The Great Dictator]]'', by months.<ref name="Moe"/>


===="Foreign Land" speech====
On [[May 6]], [[1946]], during the filming of ''[[Half-Wits Holiday]],'' brother Curly suffered a [[stroke]]. He was replaced in the Three Stooges by Shemp, who agreed to return to the group until Curly would be well enough to rejoin. Although Curly recovered enough to appear in ''[[Hold That Lion!]]'' in a cameo appearance (the only Three Stooges film to contain all three Howard brothers; Moe, Curly, and Shemp), he soon suffered a series of strokes which led to his death on [[January 18]], [[1952]].<ref name="Moe"/>
After a controversial party conference speech in 2001, Hague was accused of [[xenophobia]] and [[racism]] by sections of the media. In the speech, Hague said: "''Talk about asylum and they call you racist; talk about your nation and they call you Little Englanders [...] This government thinks Britain would be alright if we had a different people [...] Elect a Conservative government and we will give you back your country!''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2001/mar/04/conservatives.speeches|title=Hague's 'foreign land' speech|publisher=guardian.co.uk|accessdate=2008-07-13}}</ref>


The speech was criticised in even traditionally Conservative newspapers such as ''[[The Sun (newspaper)|The Sun]]'' and ''[[The Times]]''. Former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister [[Michael Heseltine]], a prominent [[One Nation Conservatism|One Nation Conservative]], was particularly critical of Hague's allegation that Britain was becoming a "''foreign land''", and confessed in newspaper interviews that he was uncertain as to whether he could support a Hague-led Conservative Party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1201755.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Hague plays 'patriot' card}}</ref> With hindsight, the speech served to cement the Conservatives' reputation as "the nasty party" in the run-up to the [[UK general election, 2001|general election]].
The Three Stooges' series of shorts continued to be popular through the 1950s; Shemp co-starred in 73 comedies. (The Stooges also co-starred in a [[George O'Brien (actor)|George O'Brien]] western, ''[[Gold Raiders]]'', in 1951.) Moe also co-produced occasional western and musical films in the 1950s.


====Skill in debate====
On [[November 22]], [[1955]], Shemp died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]], necessitating the need for another Stooge. Producer [[Jules White]] used old footage of Shemp to complete four more films with Columbia regular [[Joe Palma]] filling in for Shemp, until [[Harry Cohn]] hired [[Joe Besser]] in 1956. According to Moe's autobiography, Howard wanted a "two stooge" act, and that it was Cohn's idea, not Moe's, to replace Shemp as part of the act. Joe, Larry, and Moe filmed 16 shorts through December 1957. With the death of Columbia head [[Harry Cohn]], the making of short subjects came to an end, and Howard was forced to take a job as a [[gofer]] at Columbia.<ref name="Moe"/>
Although polls remained unfavourable, Hague gained great respect from all sides of the [[British House of Commons]] during his time as [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]] for his performance as a debater. It has been said that Hague's critics, however vocal their opposition, were silenced every Wednesday by his performance at [[Prime Minister's Questions]] and that he regularly bested Tony Blair during these sessions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1908959.ece|title=Back in the Tory fold, while they’re a winning team|publisher=Times Online}}</ref> In one particular exchange Hague attacked the Prime Minister's record, in response to the [[Queen's Speech]] of 2000: <blockquote>


''"In more than 20 years in politics, he has betrayed every cause he believed in, contradicted every statement he has made, broken every promise he has given and breached every agreement that he has entered into... There is a lifetime of U-turns, errors and sell-outs. All those hon. Members who sit behind the Prime Minister and wonder whether they stand for anything any longer, or whether they defend any point of principle, know who has led them to that sorry state. "''<ref name=Queen>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo001206/debtext/01206-06.htm#01206-06_spnew3|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 6 Dec 2000 (pt 6)|publisher=Hansard|accessdate=2008-07-13}}</ref></blockquote>
Fortunately for the Stooges, Columbia sold the Three Stooges' library of short films to television under the "Screen Gems" brand. With this, the Three Stooges quickly gained a new audience of young fans. Ever the businessman, Moe Howard put together a new Stooges act, with [[burlesque]] and screen comic [[Curly Joe DeRita|Joe DeRita]] (dubbed "Curly-Joe" due to his resemblance to Curly Howard) as the new "third Stooge." The revitalized trio starred in several feature-length movies: ''[[Have Rocket, Will Travel]]'', ''[[Snow White and the Three Stooges]]'', ''[[The Three Stooges Meet Hercules]]'', ''[[The Three Stooges in Orbit]]'', ''[[The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze]]'', and ''[[The Outlaws Is Coming!]]''.<ref name="Moe"/>


Blair responded by criticising what he saw as Hague's "[[bandwagon]]" politics: <blockquote>
Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe continued to make live appearances, many notable "guest appearances", notably in ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' and ''[[4 for Texas]]''. The boys tried their hand at a children's cartoon show titled ''[[The New 3 Stooges]]'', with the cartoons sandwiched between live action segments of the boys. However, by 1965, the three had aged too much to continue performing slapstick comedy. They did receive royalties from their features with Curly-Joe, and income from the volume of Three Stooges merchandising.
''... he started the [[UK fuel protest|fuel protest]] bandwagon, then the floods bandwagon; on defence it became armour-plated, then on [[National Air Traffic Services|air traffic control]] it became airborne.... Yes, the right honourable Gentleman made a very witty, funny speech, but it summed up his leadership: good jokes, lousy judgment. I am afraid that in the end, if the right honourable Gentleman really aspires to stand at this Despatch Box, he will have to get his policies sorted out and his party sorted out, and offer a vision for the country's future, not a vision that would take us backwards.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo001206/debtext/01206-08.ht|title=www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo001206/debtext/01206-08.ht<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo001206/debtext/01206-08.htm#01206-08_spmin2|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 6 Dec 2000 (pt 8)|publisher=Hansard}}</ref></blockquote>


====Resignation====
[[Image:oldmoe75.jpeg|thumb|right|Moe Howard in February 1975, three months before his death.]]
On the morning of Labour's second consecutive landslide victory in the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 General Election]], Hague stated:''"we have not been able to persuade a majority, or anything approaching a majority, that we are yet the alternative government that they need."''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/7375909.stm|title= This week's panel|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-07-13}}</ref> In the 2001 election the Conservative Party had gained only one seat from their disastrous 1997 election. Following the defeat, Hague resigned as leader, thus becoming the first full Conservative Party leader not to have become [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]].
Moe sold [[real estate]] when his show-business life slowed down, although he still did minor roles and walk-on bits in movies (''Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title'', ''Dr. Death: Seeker of Souls'') and television appearances (''[[Here's Hollywood]]'', ''[[Toast of the Town]]'', ''[[Masquerade Party]]'', ''[[Truth or Consequences]]'' and several appearances on ''[[The Mike Douglas Show]]''). The Stooges also made several appearances on late night television, particularly ''[[The Tonight Show]]''.


===Backbenches===
The Stooges attempted to make a final film in 1969, ''[[Kook's Tour]]'', which was essentially an early "reality TV" show of Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe, out of character, touring the country and interacting with fans. On January 8, 1970, Larry suffered a major [[stroke]] during filming, and died on [[January 24]], [[1975]], at age 72. Moe asked long-time Three Stooges supporting actor [[Emil Sitka]] to replace Larry but this final lineup never recorded any material before Moe's death on [[May 4]], [[1975]], just a month shy of his 78th birthday.<ref name="Moe"/>
On the backbenches he occasionally spoke in the Commons on the issues of the day. While Hague<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030318/debtext/30318-14.htm#30318-14_time0|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 18 Mar 2003 (pt 14)|publisher=Hansard}}</ref> spoke in support of the military action proposed by [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]] during debate before the 2003 Iraq War, one could lipread Blair saying to his colleague, then-[[Foreign Secretary]] [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]] "He's good, you know."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2004/10/24/story786008835.asp|title=Tory boy|publisher= ThePost.ie|accessdate=2008-07-13}}</ref>


Between 1997 and 2002 William Hague was the chairman of the [[International Democrat Union]]. Since 2002 he has served as a deputy chairman to [[John Howard]], at the time the [[Prime Minister of Australia]].
Moe and the Three Stooges received a Star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] on [[August 30]], [[1983]], at 1560 Vine Street. Moe was portrayed by actor [[Paul Ben-Victor]] in ''The Three Stooges'', a made-for-TV biopic that focused on trio's years in show business and their offscreen lives.


Hague's profile and popularity have risen among both Conservative Party members and the wider public significantly since his spell as party leader. Since ceasing to be [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]], Hague has been an active media personality. He put in three much-praised appearances as a guest host on the BBC satirical news show ''[[Have I Got News For You]]'' in which he was also persuaded by [[Ian Hislop]] to admit that endorsing the soon-to-be-jailed [[Jeffrey Archer]] as the Conservative candidate for the post of [[Mayor of London]] was his "biggest mistake".
===Death===
A lifelong smoker, Moe Howard died of [[lung cancer]] on [[May 4]], [[1975]]. He was interred at [[Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Culver City, California]]. His wife died of a heart attack in October 1975 and is buried next to him.


Other subsequent activities have included writing an in-depth biography of 18th century Prime Minister [[William Pitt the Younger|Pitt the Younger]] (published in 2004), teaching himself how to play the piano, and hosting the 25th anniversary programme for [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]] on the political television satire ''[[Yes Minister]]'' in 2005. In June 2007 he also published his second book, a biography of the anti-slave trade campaigner [[William Wilberforce]], shortlisted for the 2008 [[Orwell Prize]] for political writing.<ref>[http://www.theorwellprize.co.uk/the-award/short-books.aspx "Shortlist 2008"], The Orwell Prize </ref>
Moe and [[Helen Howard|Helen]] had two children: [[Joan Howard Maurer]] (born 1927) and Paul Howard (born 1935).


Hague's annual income is the highest in Parliament, with earnings of about £400,000 a year from directorships, consultancy, speeches, and his parliamentary salary. His income was previously estimated at £1 million annually, but he dropped several commitments and in effect took a salary cut of some £600,000 on becoming Shadow Foreign Secretary in 2005.<ref>{{cite news | title = Hague pays dearly for his promotion to the Shadow Cabinet| url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17129-2446698,00.html | publisher = The Times (London) | date = 2006-11-10 | accessdate = 2006-12-08}}</ref> The full list of his registered interests can be found [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/080205/memi12.htm here].
==References==
{{reflist}}


Along with former Prime Minister [[John Major]], former Chancellor [[Kenneth Clarke]], and Hague's successor [[Iain Duncan Smith]], Hague served for a time on the Conservative Leadership Council, which was itself set up by [[Michael Howard]] upon his [[Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2003|unopposed election]] as Conservative Party Leader in 2003.
==Further reading==

* ''The Columbia Comedy Shorts''; by [[Ted Okuda]] with Edward Watz [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0786405775/], (McFarland, 1986).
In the [[Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005|2005 Conservative leadership election]] Hague backed eventual winner [[David Cameron]].
* ''The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion''; by Jon Solomon [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0971186804], (Comedy III Productions, Inc., 2002).

* ''The Three Stooges Scrapbook''; by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer, Greg Lenburg [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0806509465](Citadel Press, 1994).
Hague is the chairman of the Team 2 Thousand donor club, a society for donors to the Conservative party.
* ''The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons''; by Michael Fleming [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0767905563](Broadway Publishing, 2002).

* ''One Fine Stooge: A Frizzy Life in Pictures''; by Steve Cox and Jim Terry [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1581823630], (Cumberland House Publishing, 2006).
===Return to the Shadow Cabinet===
Following the 2005 General Election, the then-Conservative Party leader Michael Howard offered Hague the post of [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]], but he turned the post down. Hague apparently told Howard that his business commitments would make it difficult for him to take on such a high profile job.<ref>
{{cite web
| title = Hague rejects post of shadow chancellor
| publisher = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| date = 2005-05-12
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/may/12/conservatives.whitehall
| accessdate = 2008-05-04}}</ref>

On 6 December 2005, David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative party. Hague was offered and accepted the role of [[Shadow Foreign Secretary]] and Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet, effectively serving as Cameron's deputy (though not formally, unlike previous deputy Conservative leaders [[Willie Whitelaw]], [[Peter Lilley]] and [[Michael Ancram]]). He had been widely tipped to return to the front bench under either Cameron or leadership contest runner-up [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]].

On 30 January 2006, per David Cameron's instructions, Hague travelled to Brussels for talks to pull Conservative Party [[MEP]]s out of the federalist [[European People's Party–European Democrats]] (EPP-ED) group in the [[European Parliament]]. (''[[Daily Telegraph]]'', 30 Jan 2006). Further, on 15 February 2006, Hague stood in during [[David Cameron]]'s [[paternity leave]] at [[Prime Minister's Questions]]. This appearance gave rise to jokes at the expense of Blair, that all three parties that day were being led by 'stand ins', with the Liberal Democrats represented by acting leader Sir [[Menzies Campbell]], the Labour Party by the departing Blair, and the Conservatives by Hague. Hague again deputised for Cameron for several sessions in 2006. His standing in for Cameron at PMQs has increased the resemblance of his role to that of a deputy leader, but he retains only the title Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet. Despite still being relatively young for an MP, Hague has been described as the Conservative Party's "[[statesman|elder statesman]]".<ref>{{cite news
| title = Cameron plans his own night of long knives in Shadow Cabinet clear-out
| url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=559730&in_page_id=1770
| publisher = ''[[Daily Mail]]''
| date = [[2008-04-15]]
| accessdate = 2008-04-16}}</ref>

==Styles==

* Mr William Hague (1961&ndash;1989)
* Mr William Hague MP (1989&ndash;1995)
* The Rt. Hon. William Hague MP (1995&ndash;)

==See also==
* [[UK Shadow Cabinet 1997-2001]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikiquote|William Hague}}
* [http://www.3-stooges.com/text/moe.html Biography at 3-stooges.com]
* [http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4680 Conservative Party - Rt Hon William Hague MP] biography
* [http://web2.airmail.net/willdogs/ My Pal Moe by Bob Bernet] (featuring letters and rare photos of Moe Howard at home)
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-2130,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: William Hague MP]
* {{imdb|0002935}}
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/william_hague/richmond_%28yorks%29 TheyWorkForYou.com - William Hague MP]
* {{ibdb|88613}}
* [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=William_Hague&mpc=Richmond+%28Yorks%29 The Public Whip - William Hague MP] voting record
* {{Find A Grave|id=512}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/480.stm BBC News - William Hague] profile 10 February, 2005
* [http://www.durham21.co.uk/archive/archive.asp?ID=3521 Interview with William Hague MP]
*[http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Parties/Conservative/MPs/Hague,_William/ Open Directory Project - William Hague] directory category


{{ThreeStooges}}
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{{incumbent succession box
| title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Richmond, North Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond (Yorks)]]
| start = 1989
| before = [[Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne|Leon Brittan]]
|}}
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{{succession box|title=[[Conservative Party (UK)|Leader of the British Conservative Party]]|before=[[John Major]]|after=[[Iain Duncan Smith]]|years=1997 &ndash; 2001}}
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| before=[[David Hunt]]
| after=[[Ron Davies (British politician)|Ron Davies]]
| years=1995 &ndash; 1997
|}}
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| after=[[Iain Duncan Smith]]
| title=[[Leader of the Opposition (UK)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| years=1997 &ndash; 2001
|}}
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| title=[[Shadow Foreign Secretary]]
| before=[[Liam Fox]]
| after=Present
| start=2005
|}}
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| title=[[Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom)|Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet]]
| before=None
| after=Present
| start=2005
|}}
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{{ConservativePartyLeader}}
{{UK Shadow Cabinet}}

<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME= Hague, William Jefferson
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[United Kingdom|British]] [[politician]]
|DATE OF BIRTH= 26 March 1961
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Rotherham]], [[South Yorkshire]], [[England]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Moe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hague, William J}}
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:Leaders of the British Conservative Party]]
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[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:Conservative MPs (UK)]]
[[Category:American television actors]]
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[[Category:American stage actors]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992-1997]]
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[[Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies]]
[[Category:American Jews]]
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[[Category:Secretaries of State for Wales]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Three Stooges members]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Oxford Union]]
[[Category:Vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Cancer deaths in California]]
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Revision as of 09:47, 10 October 2008

This article is about the British politician. For the Babylon 5 character see General William Hague. For the boxer, see William 'Iron' Hague.
The Right Honourable
William Hague

PC MP
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Assumed office
6 December 2005
LeaderDavid Cameron
Preceded byLiam Fox
Leader of the Opposition
In office
19 June 1997 – 18 September 2001
Preceded byJohn Major
Succeeded byIain Duncan Smith
Secretary of State for Wales
In office
5 July 1995 – 2 May 1997
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byDavid Hunt
Succeeded byRon Davies
Member of Parliament
for Richmond (Yorks)
Assumed office
23 February 1989
Preceded byLeon Brittan
Majority17,807 (39.4%)
Personal details
Born (1961-03-26) March 26, 1961 (age 63)
Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseFfion Jenkins
Alma materMagdalen College, Oxford
ProfessionManagement consultant

William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks) and Shadow Foreign Secretary. He previously served as leader of the Conservative Party between 1997 and 2001.

First elected to the House of Commons in a by-election in 1989, Hague rose through the ranks of John Major's government and entered the Cabinet in 1995 as the Secretary of State for Wales. Following the Conservatives' defeat in the 1997 general election, he was elected as leader of the Conservative Party. He resigned as party leader after the 2001 general election following a landslide defeat to the Labour Party. He was the first leader of the Conservatives not to have become Prime Minister since Austen Chamberlain in the early 1920s.

On the backbenches Hague began a career as an author, writing biographies on William Pitt the Younger and William Wilberforce. He also held several directorships, and worked as a consultant and public speaker; the combined annual income of these activities was estimated to be around £1 million, one of the highest in Parliament.

After David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 2005, Hague returned to front line politics as Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Early life

Hague was born in Rotherham in Yorkshire, and was educated at Wath-upon-Dearne Comprehensive in Rotherham.

He first made the national news at the age of 16 by speaking at the Conservative Party's 1977 national conference. In his speech he told the attendees, "Half of you won't be here in 30 or 40 years' time", but that others would have to live with consequences of a Labour government if it stayed in power.[1]

Subsequently, Hague went to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was President of both the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) and the Oxford Union, a noted route to political office[citation needed]. Hague studied PPE at Oxford, graduating with first-class honours. Following university, Hague went on to study for a Master of Business Administration degree at the business school INSEAD. Hague then worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where Archie Norman was his mentor.[2]

Member of Parliament

He was first an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for Wentworth in 1987, but was then elected to Parliament in a by-election as member for Richmond, North Yorkshire in 1989, succeeding former Home Secretary Leon Brittan. Following his election he was the youngest Conservative MP.

In government

Despite only having recently entered Parliament, Hague became part of the government in 1990, serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary for the then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont.[3] After Lamont was sacked in 1993, Hague moved to the Department of Social Security where he was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. The following year he was promoted to Minister of State at the DSS with responsibility for Social Security and Disabled People.[3] His fast rise up through the government is attributed to his intelligence and skills in debate.[4]

He entered the Cabinet in 1995 as Secretary of State for Wales.[3] Hague made a good impression at the Welsh Office; his predecessor John Redwood had been heavily criticised in the role. Resolving not to repeat Redwood's attempt to mime the Welsh national anthem at a public event, Hague asked a Welsh Office civil servant, Ffion Jenkins, to teach him the words; they would later marry.[5] He continued serving in the Cabinet until the Conservatives were removed from power in the 1997 general election.

Leadership of the Conservative Party

Following the 1997 general election defeat, Hague was elected as the leader the Conservative Party in succession to John Major, defeating more experienced figures such as Kenneth Clarke and Michael Howard. At the age of 36, Hague was tasked with rebuilding the Conservative Party by attempting to build a more modern image. £250,000 was spent on the 'Listening to Britain' campaign to try and put the Conservatives back in the touch with the public after losing power; he was also influenced by the "compassionate conservatism" ideology of the then-Governor of Texas George W. Bush.[6]

Hague's leadership came under constant attack and his tenure was widely considered a failure[citation needed]. Some commentators viewed him as ill-prepared, or 'unelectable', as Opposition Leader [citation needed]. Hague himself feels his image never did recover after the first few months, when various public-relations exercises backfired disastrously. On one of these occasions he visited a theme park and he, his Chief of Staff Sebastian Coe and the local MP took a ride on a log flume wearing baseball caps emblazoned with the word 'HAGUE'. Cecil Parkinson described the exercise as "juvenile".

During the 1998 Conservative Party Conference in Bournemouth, the tabloid Sun's front page infamously read (referencing Monty Python's "Dead Parrot" sketch), "This party is no more ... it has ceased to be ... this is an ex-party. Cause of death: suicide."

Hague's authority was put in doubt with the promotion of Michael Portillo to the role of Shadow Chancellor in 2000[citation needed]. Within days Portillo reversed Conservative opposition to two of Labour's flagship policies, the minimum wage and independence of the Bank of England. From then and until the 2001 General Election Hague's supporters, led by Amanda Platell, fought an increasingly bitter battle with those of Portillo. Platell has said that she advised Hague to abandon the "fresh start" theme and to follow his instincts[citation needed]. This led to a number of further mistakes, such as the claim that he used to drink "14 pints of beer a day" when he was a teenager.[7]

Hague's reputation suffered further damage towards the end of his leadership, with a 2001 poll for the Daily Telegraph finding that 66% of voters considered him to be "a bit of a wally" and 70% of voters believed he would "say almost anything to win votes".[8]

"Foreign Land" speech

After a controversial party conference speech in 2001, Hague was accused of xenophobia and racism by sections of the media. In the speech, Hague said: "Talk about asylum and they call you racist; talk about your nation and they call you Little Englanders [...] This government thinks Britain would be alright if we had a different people [...] Elect a Conservative government and we will give you back your country!".[9]

The speech was criticised in even traditionally Conservative newspapers such as The Sun and The Times. Former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine, a prominent One Nation Conservative, was particularly critical of Hague's allegation that Britain was becoming a "foreign land", and confessed in newspaper interviews that he was uncertain as to whether he could support a Hague-led Conservative Party.[10] With hindsight, the speech served to cement the Conservatives' reputation as "the nasty party" in the run-up to the general election.

Skill in debate

Although polls remained unfavourable, Hague gained great respect from all sides of the British House of Commons during his time as Leader of the Opposition for his performance as a debater. It has been said that Hague's critics, however vocal their opposition, were silenced every Wednesday by his performance at Prime Minister's Questions and that he regularly bested Tony Blair during these sessions.[11] In one particular exchange Hague attacked the Prime Minister's record, in response to the Queen's Speech of 2000:

"In more than 20 years in politics, he has betrayed every cause he believed in, contradicted every statement he has made, broken every promise he has given and breached every agreement that he has entered into... There is a lifetime of U-turns, errors and sell-outs. All those hon. Members who sit behind the Prime Minister and wonder whether they stand for anything any longer, or whether they defend any point of principle, know who has led them to that sorry state. "[12]

Blair responded by criticising what he saw as Hague's "bandwagon" politics:

... he started the fuel protest bandwagon, then the floods bandwagon; on defence it became armour-plated, then on air traffic control it became airborne.... Yes, the right honourable Gentleman made a very witty, funny speech, but it summed up his leadership: good jokes, lousy judgment. I am afraid that in the end, if the right honourable Gentleman really aspires to stand at this Despatch Box, he will have to get his policies sorted out and his party sorted out, and offer a vision for the country's future, not a vision that would take us backwards.[13][14]

Resignation

On the morning of Labour's second consecutive landslide victory in the 2001 General Election, Hague stated:"we have not been able to persuade a majority, or anything approaching a majority, that we are yet the alternative government that they need."[15] In the 2001 election the Conservative Party had gained only one seat from their disastrous 1997 election. Following the defeat, Hague resigned as leader, thus becoming the first full Conservative Party leader not to have become Prime Minister.

Backbenches

On the backbenches he occasionally spoke in the Commons on the issues of the day. While Hague[16] spoke in support of the military action proposed by Prime Minister Tony Blair during debate before the 2003 Iraq War, one could lipread Blair saying to his colleague, then-Foreign Secretary Jack Straw "He's good, you know."[17]

Between 1997 and 2002 William Hague was the chairman of the International Democrat Union. Since 2002 he has served as a deputy chairman to John Howard, at the time the Prime Minister of Australia.

Hague's profile and popularity have risen among both Conservative Party members and the wider public significantly since his spell as party leader. Since ceasing to be Leader of the Opposition, Hague has been an active media personality. He put in three much-praised appearances as a guest host on the BBC satirical news show Have I Got News For You in which he was also persuaded by Ian Hislop to admit that endorsing the soon-to-be-jailed Jeffrey Archer as the Conservative candidate for the post of Mayor of London was his "biggest mistake".

Other subsequent activities have included writing an in-depth biography of 18th century Prime Minister Pitt the Younger (published in 2004), teaching himself how to play the piano, and hosting the 25th anniversary programme for Radio 4 on the political television satire Yes Minister in 2005. In June 2007 he also published his second book, a biography of the anti-slave trade campaigner William Wilberforce, shortlisted for the 2008 Orwell Prize for political writing.[18]

Hague's annual income is the highest in Parliament, with earnings of about £400,000 a year from directorships, consultancy, speeches, and his parliamentary salary. His income was previously estimated at £1 million annually, but he dropped several commitments and in effect took a salary cut of some £600,000 on becoming Shadow Foreign Secretary in 2005.[19] The full list of his registered interests can be found here.

Along with former Prime Minister John Major, former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke, and Hague's successor Iain Duncan Smith, Hague served for a time on the Conservative Leadership Council, which was itself set up by Michael Howard upon his unopposed election as Conservative Party Leader in 2003.

In the 2005 Conservative leadership election Hague backed eventual winner David Cameron.

Hague is the chairman of the Team 2 Thousand donor club, a society for donors to the Conservative party.

Return to the Shadow Cabinet

Following the 2005 General Election, the then-Conservative Party leader Michael Howard offered Hague the post of Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, but he turned the post down. Hague apparently told Howard that his business commitments would make it difficult for him to take on such a high profile job.[20]

On 6 December 2005, David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative party. Hague was offered and accepted the role of Shadow Foreign Secretary and Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet, effectively serving as Cameron's deputy (though not formally, unlike previous deputy Conservative leaders Willie Whitelaw, Peter Lilley and Michael Ancram). He had been widely tipped to return to the front bench under either Cameron or leadership contest runner-up David Davis.

On 30 January 2006, per David Cameron's instructions, Hague travelled to Brussels for talks to pull Conservative Party MEPs out of the federalist European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP-ED) group in the European Parliament. (Daily Telegraph, 30 Jan 2006). Further, on 15 February 2006, Hague stood in during David Cameron's paternity leave at Prime Minister's Questions. This appearance gave rise to jokes at the expense of Blair, that all three parties that day were being led by 'stand ins', with the Liberal Democrats represented by acting leader Sir Menzies Campbell, the Labour Party by the departing Blair, and the Conservatives by Hague. Hague again deputised for Cameron for several sessions in 2006. His standing in for Cameron at PMQs has increased the resemblance of his role to that of a deputy leader, but he retains only the title Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet. Despite still being relatively young for an MP, Hague has been described as the Conservative Party's "elder statesman".[21]

Styles

  • Mr William Hague (1961–1989)
  • Mr William Hague MP (1989–1995)
  • The Rt. Hon. William Hague MP (1995–)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Your favourite Conference Clips". The Daily Politics. British Broadcasting Corporation. 3 October 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  2. ^ "Archie Norman". The Guardian. 20 March 2001. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  3. ^ a b c "Rt Hon William Hague MP - profile". Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  4. ^ "William Hague". BBC News. 16 October 2002. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  5. ^ "'Spin doctor' grooms Ffion's election look". BBC News. 2 May 2001. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  6. ^ "The all new William Hague". BBC News. 13 April 1999. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  7. ^ "Hague: I drank 14 pints a day". BBC News.
  8. ^ "Poll monitor: Labour looks hard to beat". BBC News. 9 February 2001.
  9. ^ "Hague's 'foreign land' speech". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  10. ^ "Hague plays 'patriot' card". BBC News.
  11. ^ "Back in the Tory fold, while they're a winning team". Times Online.
  12. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 6 Dec 2000 (pt 6)". Hansard. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  13. ^ "www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo001206/debtext/01206-08.ht".
  14. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 6 Dec 2000 (pt 8)". Hansard.
  15. ^ "This week's panel". BBC. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  16. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 18 Mar 2003 (pt 14)". Hansard.
  17. ^ "Tory boy". ThePost.ie. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  18. ^ "Shortlist 2008", The Orwell Prize
  19. ^ "Hague pays dearly for his promotion to the Shadow Cabinet". The Times (London). 2006-11-10. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
  20. ^ "Hague rejects post of shadow chancellor". The Guardian. 2005-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ "Cameron plans his own night of long knives in Shadow Cabinet clear-out". Daily Mail. 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-04-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

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