William Hague, Conservative Party Conference, 1977

A clip from William Hague's first public political speech when he was 16. Venue was the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool, October 1977.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• William Hague
• Conservative
• conference
• politics
• news
• 1977

[MrTUCTUC1]

Whether you agree with his politics or not, shouldn't the fact of a 16 year old having the balls and ability to speak to a major conference be something to be applauded?

[LOCOMOTIONNUMBER1]

I did not know he wore a wig 1979!

[MetaReaLizard]

@haberdasherswater As I said New Labour followed the same neoliberal agenda. The union backlash in the 70s is hardly a surprise after it took 150 years to get the upper hand on the blue bloods. Sure the 70s were sexist and it was good such social change was taking place. So the Tories seized on the opportunity and built an election campaign based around the first woman PM. I have to hand it to them that was a great bit of electioneering.

[haberdasherswater]

@MetaReaLizard This was at a time of recession -which she brought people out of! During her years, 80% of personal wealth increased. And giving milk to schoolkids? It was Labour that scrapped secondary (11 yrs onwards) getting milk; she had to - people could afford it. New Labour did far worse and Callaghan's sexist government - could have been miles better if only the Conservatives were in a time not in recession. Short-term? Labour could have done something and Gordon Brown not sold our gold.

[MetaReaLizard]

...no instead they closed mental health hospitals, special needs schools, gave carte blanche to the fincial sector and banks... Created provisions so mortgage lendors could lend even higher multiples of salaries creating bad debt and a jump in housing prices. Started the privatisation rot of the NHS tendoring out key services and making them diifcult to access. Oh yeah but they did give some milk to school kids - Tories put an end to that though didn't they.?

[MetaReaLizard]

@haberdasherswater Yes we know what her rhetoric was... And as predicted the short-term gains have become overshadowed by the long term damage to infrastructure and manufacturing. Home ownership was not invented by thatcher... she sold council houses and didn't replace them leaving tax payers handing over cash to private slumlords. New Labour followed the same Neoliberal agenda; they didn't even try to repeal Thatcher's anti-union laws... did they re-nationalise anything?

[haberdasherswater]

@MetaReaLizard She gave home ownership and reformed the tyranny of the unions. Did she truly ruin the country or change this country for the better? Her strength cannot be denied - and I would ask you to consider how much worse New Labour (being brought up then) did to this country than the Lady Thatcher did.

[MetaReaLizard]

@haberdasherswater Why, because I hate what Thatcher did to my country? That I had to grow up in that hell of a decade known as the 80s. Watching people struggle in the decline... seeing families destroyed for her neoliberal vision of the future. A vision that desecrated generations of struggle, and sacrifice; that damned future generations to a vacuous existence of servitude. I guess i'm guilty as charged... but I much prefer the company.

[haberdasherswater]

@maartenMLMS You cannot spell the word properly and he isn't 'evil' - is he in any way a warmonger such as Blair or the separatist Brown? Don't waste your time commenting - you're too thick to do so.

[haberdasherswater]

Precisely

[haberdasherswater]

@MetaReaLizard What a sick person you are.

[haberdasherswater]

I am appalled by the intelligence and overall nous of many of the commenters on this page. Rather than listening to how Mr Hague speaks, try to listen to his merits and points - something which you fail to comprehend. You fear their educational superiority and I doubt half of you here are employed.