You can gain in your effectiveness as a politician from a wide acquaintance with the world and from a degree of independence that having some outside interests gives. -William Hague Independence
The EU is not a country and it's not going to become a country, in my view, now or ever in the future. It is a group of countries working together. -William Hague Future
I don't deny that there are problems in the intelligence world, but I would argue that in the UK we try to uphold the highest standards in the world. -William Hague Intelligence
The Bill of Rights was intended to secure freedom of speech - the freedom of speech of members of parliament to speak freely rather than be at threat of... the threat of an over powerful monarch at the time. -William Hague Freedom
When a Cabinet Minister who is sacked for telling lies is re-appointed, in the face of every constitutional convention, only for the same man to be sacked again from the same Cabinet for the same offence by the same Prime Minister no wonder the public are cynical about politics. -William Hague Politics
It's really necessary for the United States to continue to give strong leadership to the Middle East peace process, supported by European countries at the same time. -William Hague Leadership
I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that people won't believe the Government of the day, so they have to know that lessons have been learnt and that all political parties and people, whether they were for or against the invasion of Iraq, have learnt lessons. -William Hague Government
Spending only what the country can afford, rewarding savings, encouraging independence, supporting marriage: people know that these things are common sense. -William Hague Independence
I don't think my principles change. I think the way in which you apply those principles to modern society changes. -William Hague Society
Governments that block the aspirations of their people, that steal or are corrupt, that oppress and torture or that deny freedom of expression and human rights should bear in mind that they will find it increasingly hard to escape the judgement of their own people, or where warranted, the reach of international law. -William Hague Freedom
I believe we should reframe our response to climate change as an imperative for growth rather than merely being a way of being green or meeting environmental commitments. -William Hague Environmental
When we have a Deputy Prime Minister who tells people not to drive cars but has two Jags himself, and where the Minister who tells people not to have two homes turns out to have nine himself no wonder the public believe politicians are hypocrites. -William Hague Politics
Inspiring scenes of people taking the future of their countries into their own hands will ignite greater demands for good governance and political reform elsewhere in the world, including in Asia and in Africa. -William Hague Future
To the teacher weighed down with paperwork, I say: you've been messed around too often. You came into teaching to spend your time teaching children not filling in forms. -William Hague Teacher
