Should William Hague Consider His Position ?

William Hague is, in my opinion, one of the most gifted British polticians of the last 20 years, he is certainly the best orator over that period, and an intelligent student of history. So, I don’t want readers to think that, for me, he is a hate figure because he is not.

But I believe that the situation that he now finds himself in is such that it would be better for himself, the Government, and the country if he makes the decision to retire from politics and spend more time with his wife.

Born in 1961, he was just 16 year’s old when he gave a very successful, and well received speech, at the Conservative Party Conference 1977. Incidently, this is around the same time that Mr Steve Messham from North Wales was being buggered and abused by atleast one of the MPs in the conference room as he young William spoke.

After graduating with First Class Honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from the University of Oxford, he was on the fast track to a promising political career.

He was then elected to Parliament in a by-election in 1989 as member for Richmond, North Yorkshire, succeeding former Home Secretary Leon Brittan. He entered Government the following year as PPS for Norman Lamont. He became a Secretary of State in 1994 and entered the Cabinet, as as Secretary of State for Wales in 1995.

This is a meteoric rise for such a young politician and it is testament to his unquestionable talents.

But it is there, as Welsh Secretary that he appears to have created the very real problem that he finds himself in today because it was as the Secretary of State for Wales in 1996 that he ordered a Tribunal of Inquiry into allegations of hundreds of cases of child abuse in care homes in North Wales, appointing Sir Ronald Waterhouse QC, a retired High Court judge, to head the inquiry. and most damning, set it’s remit which appears today to be so restrictive and narrow.

If we are to be generous, we might accept that the decision to restrict the Inquiry to abuse inside the care homes themselves and to, as Newsnight  pointed out –

– was a naive decision taken by young MP who had risen too quickly and may have been influenced by other, less naive colleagues – that is if we are prepared to be generous.

Remaining generous we’ll ignore the gossip surrounding Hagues relationship, and sometimes room mate Chris Myers.

My reason for asking if William Hague should consider his postion, is because in the light of the revelations that have recently surfaced about the North Wales abuse scandal, which appears to have been covered up, which implicates Senior Conservatives Aides, Conservative MPs, and perhaps even a former Conservative Cabinet Minister, David Cameron is going to struggle to gain the credibility and public trust that he needs for a new independent Inquiry as long as Mr Hague remains in post.

Theresa May [not so much a name as a statement of ambiguous intent] has announced an inquiry into whether the remit of the Waterhouse Inquiry, which William Hague set up, was too narrow. If that supposedly independent inquiry finds that it was too narrow then William Hague’s position will be untenable, if it finds that it was not too narrow the public will believe it is just another stage of a giant cover-up, this time to protect the Foreign Secretary. There is no credible outcome which will not harm Hague or the Government.

This may not be apparent now but it soon will be.