Dr Eileen Metcalfe

The Wit and Humour of William Hague Dr Eileen Metcalfe

It has been said that nothing describes a man better than his own sense of humour. Few men in public life display the wit of William Hague, now Baron Hague of Richmond. His keenly developed sense of humour and penetrating wit is a delightful facet of his personality. This book highlights Hague's rise on the political stage as well and his penchant for doing and saying the unexpected. His words are taken largely from his speeches and debates in the House of Commons. Hague joined the Conservative Party on his fifteenth birthday, and within twelve months he made national news headlines in an unforgettable speech, addressing the Conservatives at their 1977 Annual National Conference. He was elected to Parliament in 1989, becoming its youngest Conservative member at age twenty-eight. On the back benches, Hague began a career as an author, writing biographies of William Pitt the Younger and William Wilberforce. His personal popularity in the Conservative Party and with the wider public can be partially attributed to his incomparable wit and humour. Take a lighthearted look at some of William Hague's contributions to debates in the House of Commons, particularly those that were pervaded by a sense of fun.