Former British Foreign Secretary

  • William Hague was born and brought up in Yorkshire.

  • After attending a local comprehensive (and causing a media sensation as a schoolboy speaker at the Conservative Party Conference), he studied at Oxford and INSEAD, and worked in management consultancy.

  • He then served as Member of Parliament for Richmond for 26 years.

  • William has been a prominent political leader for more than 20 years, serving as Leader of the Conservative Party and as Foreign Secretary.

  • After announcing his intention to step down, he concluded his political career as First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons.

  • In four years as Foreign Secretary William dealt with a turbulent period encompassing wars in Libya and Syria, withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Ukraine crisis, the struggle against terrorism and relations with Europe.

  • He expanded Britain's diplomatic network and placed a renewed emphasis on export success.

  • He was also responsible for two of Britain's intelligence agencies, and visited more countries than any Foreign Secretary in history.

  • William also led the negotiating team that created coalition government in 2010. His mix of international and domestic experience has given him a deep knowledge of the inside of politics and the reasons for growing instability in world affairs.

  • He speaks with great authority on the impact of technological change, population movement, economic trends and the rise of religious intolerance on our economy and all our lives.

  • Having known many global leaders, he speaks from rich experience about different styles of leadership – drawing on numerous debates with Tony Blair and first hand knowledge of the world's Presidents from George W Bush to Vladimir Putin.

  • William is also well known as a raconteur, hailed by Hillary Clinton as “the David Beckham of toasting.”

  • With true Yorkshire wit and natural comic timing he describes the pitfalls of politics and the disasters caused when media, drink, politicians and debating come together.

  • He is also an accomplished historian, author of two bestsellers and winner of the History Book of the Year Award.

  • William lives in Wales and Yorkshire with his wife Ffion.

  • He continues with his humanitarian work, including the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative which he co-founded with Angelina Jolie Pitt, and work to combat the illegal trade in wildlife.