For other people named William Hague, see William Hague (disambiguation).
The Right Honourable
The Lord Hague of Richmond
PC FRSL
Official portrait, 2010
First Secretary of State
In office 12 May 2010 – 8 May 2015
Prime Minister
David Cameron
Preceded by
The Lord Mandelson
Succeeded by
George Osborne
Leader of the House of Commons
In office 14 July 2014 – 8 May 2015
Prime Minister
David Cameron
Preceded by
Andrew Lansley
Succeeded by
Chris Grayling
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office 12 May 2010 – 14 July 2014
Prime Minister
David Cameron
Preceded by
David Miliband
Succeeded by
Philip Hammond
Leader of the Opposition
In office 19 June 1997 – 13 September 2001
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Prime Minister
Tony Blair
Deputy
Peter Lilley
Michael Portillo
Preceded by
John Major
Succeeded by
Iain Duncan Smith
Leader of the Conservative Party
In office 19 June 1997 – 13 September 2001
Deputy
Peter Lilley
Michael Portillo
Chairman
Cecil Parkinson
Michael Ancram
Preceded by
John Major
Succeeded by
Iain Duncan Smith
Secretary of State for Wales
In office 5 July 1995 – 2 May 1997
Prime Minister
John Major
Preceded by
John Redwood
Succeeded by
Ron Davies
Junior ministerial offices
Minister of State for Social Security
In office 20 July 1994 – 5 July 1995
Prime Minister
John Major
Preceded by
Nicholas Scott
Succeeded by
Alistair Burt
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security
In office 27 May 1993 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister
John Major
Preceded by
Ann Widdecombe
Succeeded by
Roger Evans
Shadow cabinet posts
Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet
In office 6 December 2005 – 11 May 2010
Leader
David Cameron
Preceded by
Office established
Succeeded by
Jack Straw (Acting Shadow Deputy Prime Minister)
Shadow Foreign Secretary
In office 6 December 2005 – 11 May 2010
Leader
David Cameron
Preceded by
Liam Fox
Succeeded by
David Miliband
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
In office 2 May 1997 – 11 June 1997
Leader
John Major
Preceded by
Ron Davies
Succeeded by
Michael Ancram
Shadow Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson
In office 2 May 1997 – 11 June 1997
Serving with Michael Howard
Leader
John Major
Preceded by
Office established
Succeeded by
Michael Ancram
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage 9 October 2015 – present
Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks)
In office 23 February 1989 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by
Leon Brittan
Succeeded by
Rishi Sunak
Personal details
Born
William Jefferson Hague
(1961-03-26) 26 March 1961 (age 63) Rotherham, England
Political party
Conservative
Spouse
Ffion Jenkins
(m. 1997)
Education
Ripon Grammar School Wath-upon-Dearne Comprehensive School
Alma mater
Magdalen College, Oxford (BA)
INSEAD (MBA)
Signature
Website
www.williamhague.com
William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond, PC, FRSL (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) in North Yorkshire from 1989 to 2015. He served in the Cameron government as First Secretary of State from 2010 to 2015, Foreign Secretary from 2010 to 2014, and Leader of the House of Commons from 2014 to 2015.
Hague was educated at Wath-upon-Dearne Comprehensive School, the University of Oxford and INSEAD, subsequently being elected to the House of Commons at a by-election in 1989. Hague quickly rose through the ranks of the government of John Major and was appointed to Cabinet in 1995 as Secretary of State for Wales. Following the Conservatives' defeat at the 1997 general election by the Labour Party, he was elected Leader of the Conservative Party at the age of 36.
Hague resigned as Conservative leader after the 2001 general election following his party's second defeat, at which the Conservatives made a net gain of just one seat. He returned to the backbenches, pursuing a career as an author, writing biographies of William Pitt the Younger and William Wilberforce. He also held several directorships, and worked as a consultant and public speaker.
After David Cameron was elected Leader of the Conservative Party in 2005, Hague was reappointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Foreign Secretary. He also assumed the role of Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet, serving as Cameron's deputy. Following the formation of the coalition government in 2010, Hague was appointed First Secretary of State and Foreign Secretary. Cameron described him as his "de facto political deputy". On 14 July 2014, Hague stood down as Foreign Secretary and became Leader of the House of Commons. He did not stand for re-election at the 2015 general election and was succeeded by Rishi Sunak. He was awarded a life peerage in the 2015 Dissolution Honours List on 9 October 2015.
William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond, PC, FRSL (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who served as Leader of the Conservative...
author, former civil servant, and wife of Conservative politician WilliamHague. Born Ffion Jenkins in Cardiff, she is a native Welsh speaker and first...
The Hague is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city...
pp. 66–67. Hague 2005, p. 479. Hague 2005, p. 484. Hague 2005, p. 526. "William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806)". Hague 2005, pp. 529–533. Hague 2005, p. 565...
leader formally took effect in June 1997 following the election of WilliamHague. He remained active in Parliament, regularly attending and contributing...
in 1997.[citation needed] The opposition Conservative Party, under WilliamHague's leadership, was still deeply divided on the issue of Europe and the...
following candidates announced their intention to stand: Kenneth Clarke WilliamHague Michael Howard Peter Lilley John Redwood Stephen Dorrell – withdrew...
of one seat, which was considered a disappointment; the party leader WilliamHague subsequently resigned, with Truss supporting the former defence secretary...
speechwriter and political secretary to Major's successor as party leader, WilliamHague. Osborne was elected as MP for Tatton in 2001, becoming the youngest...
backbencher during the premiership of John Major. During the leadership of WilliamHague he served as Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security between 1997...
industry. She held roles under Conservative Party leaders John Major and WilliamHague, and also worked for George W. Bush's presidential campaigns in 2000...
Party leader WilliamHague was the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet from 1997 to 2001. Following his initial appointments in June 1997, Hague reshuffled...
and WilliamHague ran on the same ticket, with Howard as leader and Hague as Deputy Leader and Party Chairman. The day after they agreed this, Hague decided...
became the MP for Aldridge-Brownhills. The seat was previously held by WilliamHague, a former leader of the party who had served in various cabinet positions...
2010 Downing Street announced that Clegg and the Foreign Secretary WilliamHague would share use of Chevening, which is typically the official country...
in the 1990s. Redwood subsequently served in the Shadow Cabinets of WilliamHague and Michael Howard; he has remained a backbencher since then. Prior...
Exchequer Alistair Darling, former Leader of the Conservative Party WilliamHague and former Leader of the Liberal Democrats Menzies Campbell. Notable...
Turk Island. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs WilliamHague appointed Williams to her position, effective 15 October 2012. Handy...
Prisons from 1995 to 1997. She later served in the Shadow Cabinet of WilliamHague as Shadow Secretary of State for Health from 1998 to 1999 and Shadow...
traditionally one of the safest Conservative seats. On 1 February 2000, WilliamHague promoted Portillo to the Shadow cabinet as Deputy Leader and Shadow...
to have won the contest. However, Thatcher endorsed Clarke's rival WilliamHague, who proceeded to win the election comfortably. The contest was criticised...
Hague 2007, p. 23 Hague, William (2005). William Pitt the Younger. London: Harper Perennial. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-00-714720-5. Pollock 1977, p. 9 Hague 2007...
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