How Will The William Hague-affair Play Out

imme · 05-09-2010 12:40AM #1

Anyone got any ideas on how the William Hague-affair will play. I was going to call it a controversy, but that would be over-egging the pudding somewhat. To call it an -affair also gives it a whiff of a controversy, but there you go.

Anyway, UK Foreign Secretary Hague is being accused of lacking judgment when he shared a hotel room with an aide. The aide went on to be appointed as an assistant to Hague when he was subsequently appointed Foreign Secretary.

There've been allegations made against Hague for years that he's gay. He's always denied them. Sometime after he was elected leader of the Tories in 1997 he married his secretary. In a recently published newspaper denial of an affair with his aide he detailed miscarriages that his wife has suffered. Again he was accused of misjudgment for bringing private business into the public realm.

I was surprised to see the Telegraph making the running on this.

Finally, how will it play out, will he be forced to resign. If so will he be resigning for what he did or for what he didn't do. I don't see him resigning.

Nodin · 05-09-2010 03:42PM

See, if he had said nothing, he could carry on, but now not only has he denied it but he dragged the wifes medical history into it as well (in what was a very dubious way, it has to be said). As a result, if anything new comes out, he's a goner (and if hes been lying to the wife, in more ways than one).

whatawaster · 05-09-2010 04:41PM

All anybody can reasonably say at this moment in time is that Hague has been treated disgracefully by the media.

FlutterinBantam · 05-09-2010 04:50PM

What is a Hague-affair.?

What does it involve?

bijapos · 05-09-2010 04:55PM

Hague should do the decent thing and tell the media to get lost and print what they want.

The only people whom this story should interest is Hague and his wife, thats all. The sooner the UK wakes up to the fact that what happens in the corridors of Whitehall is more important than what happens in hotel bedrooms the better. If he is gay, so what; and its about time that someone in Westminster vstood up to the trash journalism that exists in the UK where someone having an affair is deemed to be sordid and should resign. Grow a pair Hague and lay down a marker.

Nodin · 05-09-2010 05:08PM

Its not that simple, alas. The individual concerned was given a plum job, over the heads of more qualified applicants.

mikemac · 05-09-2010 05:15PM

A non story, but he realy should have ignored it instead of denying the issue.
If he had an affair then that is between him and his wife.

Sure wasn't our own former Taoiseach separated and living with another women and nobody cared. I'm not saying it's the same situation and there was no affair but it's their private lives and it's not my concern or the electorate's concern

William Hague is one of the most skilled debaters and public speakers around, I admire him for that, whatever about his politics

Denerick · 05-09-2010 05:16PM

This is really sickening stuff. Even if he is gay its absolutely despicable the way the press have treated this man. And it shows the inner swinery of the blogosphere too.

What does it matter if there are more qualified candidates? He obviously liked this guy and thought he was pretty clever. Intellect is the most important qualification for this kind of job. So is getting along with someone. There is no evidence to suggest there is a romantic motive so to suggest there is is essentially slander.

OS119 · 05-09-2010 05:24PM

bijapos wrote: »

Hague should do the decent thing and tell the media to get lost and print what they want.

The only people whom this story should interest is Hague and his wife, thats all. The sooner the UK wakes up to the fact that what happens in the corridors of Whitehall is more important than what happens in hotel bedrooms the better. If he is gay, so what; and its about time that someone in Westminster vstood up to the trash journalism that exists in the UK where someone having an affair is deemed to be sordid and should resign. Grow a pair Hague and lay down a marker.

its not quite that simple - because in the past has set himself (or at least appeared to set himself) on the 'family values' wing of the Tory party, and to do this he's voted against things like the equalisation of the age of consent for hetero and homosexuals.

if it turns out that he's espoused 'family values' for internal Tory politics while in private espousing something quite different, then he's a hypocrite - and that makes the story legitimate public interest.

if however another MP, one who had never made any 'anti' utterance on homosexuality (or any other form or practice of sexuality), was subsequently found to have indulged in that form of sexuality, then that would not be a story in the public interest, purely because there was no indication of hypocracy.

Callan57 · 05-09-2010 05:31PM

If we could only get our Senator into the Park wouldn't it be brill when HRH comes to visit .... can't wait for the headlines

Lenny Lovett · 05-09-2010 10:32PM

Nodin wrote: »

See, if he had said nothing, he could carry on, but now not only has he denied it but he dragged the wifes medical history into it as well (in what was a very dubious way, it has to be said). As a result, if anything new comes out, he's a goner (and if hes been lying to the wife, in more ways than one).

There's rarely smoke without something causing it... His defensive stance only stokes it.

Nodin wrote: »

Its not that simple, alas. The individual concerned was given a plum job, over the heads of more qualified applicants.

Absolutely, and the great British public have not forgotten what brought down the Tories in the 90s. Sleaze. Would it be outlandish for a Tory Minister to have a Gay affair even though he's married? :rolleyes:

Denerick wrote: »

This is really sickening stuff. Even if he is gay its absolutely despicable the way the press have treated this man. And it shows the inner swinery of the blogosphere too.

What does it matter if there are more qualified candidates? He obviously liked this guy and thought he was pretty clever. Intellect is the most important qualification for this kind of job. So is getting along with someone. There is no evidence to suggest there is a romantic motive so to suggest there is is essentially slander.

So it's credible that Myers goes from being a Driver to being a Foreign Policy Advisor... With no relevant qualifications? Yeah... Ok. Personally I don't believe he's gay. Just daft and neither is a crime... Perhaps if he'd chosen his advisors a bit more carefully he'd (or they'd) have . . . . well, handled it better?

OhNoYouDidn't · 05-09-2010 10:37PM

While I don't as a rule care where politicians stick it, when they play the 'family values' card and vote in legislation oppressive to gays, when they are outed, its open season.

But the actual story here is the graft of awarding his mate (and thinly hinted at lover) a job.

OS119 · 06-09-2010 09:19AM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

While I don't as a rule care where politicians stick it, when they play the 'family values' card and vote in legislation oppressive to gays, when they are outed, its open season.

But the actual story here is the graft of awarding his mate (and thinly hinted at lover) a job.

dunno, the job Myers did wasn't a foreign policy role, it was little more than a glorified bag carrier, shoulder-to-cry-on, someone-to-yell-at role - and its a role that pretty much every other minister has a flunky for, and they are all party workers employed at the ministers pleasure - there's no confusion here between the 'special advisor - personal' role and that that of a 'proper' civil servant.

we accept what looks like straightforward nepotism as a way of keeping 'proper' civil servants out of the grey areas of political/personal work that still needs to be done by someone.

entirely agree with you on the 'open season' bit of your post though....

Darlughda · 06-09-2010 09:23AM

The good looking young fella has been fired from his role, and the british media seem to be zip-locked about this issue, so I reckon Hague is doing a cover up of his sexuality, at the expense of the lover and trying to pretend he is something he is not.

Denerick · 06-09-2010 11:09AM

Darlughda wrote: »

The good looking young fella has been fired from his role, and the british media seem to be zip-locked about this issue, so I reckon Hague is doing a cover up of his sexuality, at the expense of the lover and trying to pretend he is something he is not.

The internetz has spoken. Hague is gay!

Does Hague have a choice over this?

Darlughda · 06-09-2010 11:13AM

Denerick wrote: »

The internetz has spoken. Hague is gay!

Does Hague have a choice over this?

Jayzus Denerick, did you have a sense of humour bypass, or would you be too EMBARRASSED and SICKENED to see another upstanding politician getting the mickey taken outta them?

Denerick · 06-09-2010 11:15AM

Darlughda wrote: »

Jayzus Denerick, did you have a sense of humour bypass, or would you be too EMBARRASSED and SICKENED to see another upstanding politician getting the mickey taken outta them?

I dislike the lynching involved here. Hague has been a victim of scurrilous rumours all his career, and now nasty cretins on internet blogs are circulating pictures about as if it proves something because he looks camp and is wearing sunglasses.

This is the world we live in, and I thoroughly despise it.

It goes without saying that it is perfectly fine if he is gay - but don't you think that that should be his choice, not the media's?

Darlughda · 06-09-2010 11:18AM

Denerick wrote: »

I dislike the lynching involved here. Hague has been a victim of scurrilous rumours all his career, and now nasty cretins on internet blogs are circulating pictures about as if it proves something because he looks camp and is wearing sunglasses.

This is the world we live in, and I thoroughly despise it.

It goes without saying that it is perfectly fine if he is gay - but don't you think that that should be his choice, not the media's?

oh yes if he's honest about it and not doing the oh Im straight look at me getting married to a perfect conservative politician wife routine

Denerick · 06-09-2010 11:20AM

So what if even his is? Have you any evidence other than that he hired a camp foreign policy adviser and shared a bed with him one night? (Like the vast majority of men have done when away on holidays, on boozy weekends, when slumming it etc. etc.)

There is a nasty undercurrent to all of this. Even if he is a closet case, then that is his business.

Nodin · 06-09-2010 11:36AM

Its that he hired - not for the first time - a virtually unqualified applicant over infinetly more qualified and experienced staff to a highly desired job at the British taxpayers expense. Were the individual female, the same problem would exist.

Darlughda · 06-09-2010 11:40AM

Denerick wrote: »

So what if even his is? Have you any evidence other than that he hired a camp foreign policy adviser and shared a bed with him one night? (Like the vast majority of men have done when away on holidays, on boozy weekends, when slumming it etc. etc.)

There is a nasty undercurrent to all of this. Even if he is a closet case, then that is his business.

No. By lying and hiding his true sexuality is the nasty undercurrent. The fight for equality is an ongoing battle for the gay community, and someone at his level hiding in the closet is not helping people who are open about their sexuality.

Denerick · 06-09-2010 12:16PM

Darlughda wrote: »

No. By lying and hiding his true sexuality is the nasty undercurrent. The fight for equality is an ongoing battle for the gay community, and someone at his level hiding in the closet is not helping people who are open about their sexuality.

You are assuming he is gay and Hague is maintaining he is not. This is unfair. You cheapen the cause for gay equality by coercing people - even people who are not gay - to 'come out'. This is ultimately their choice.

OS119 · 06-09-2010 01:41PM

Darlughda wrote: »

No. By lying and hiding his true sexuality is the nasty undercurrent. The fight for equality is an ongoing battle for the gay community, and someone at his level hiding in the closet is not helping people who are open about their sexuality.

he has the absolute right not to be open about his sexuality - other peoples problems are their own, he is not their keeper.

what he does not have the right to do is make political capital out of speaking and voting in a particular way while behaving in quite another - in exactly the same way as an MP who gets votes campaigning on sleaze, who then takes a bung for arranging the rezoning of land, or the footballer who makes a fortune from 'Hello' magazine as he invites them into his lovely home and talks about his 'rocksolid' marriage while fcuking hookers...

Denerick · 06-09-2010 02:31PM

Does William Hague have a voting record for anti gay stuff? I'm not aware if he has.

Even if he has voted against gay rights legislation, that doesn't make him a hypocrite. As you are assuming that he is gay. Which just isn't fair.

nacho libre · 06-09-2010 02:49PM

Denerick wrote: »

Does William Hague have a voting record for anti gay stuff? I'm not aware if he has.

Even if he has voted against gay rights legislation, that doesn't make him a hypocrite. As you are assuming that he is gay. Which just isn't fair.

It is if he is in fact gay.

Well maybe he isn't, but it's stretching credulity to believe a hetrosexual married man would innocently share a bed with as you describe a "camp man". Would you believe a politician who said he just "shared" a bed with a single woman, despite being supposedly happily married
Anyway i hope it's not true for his wife's sake. The fact he brought her medical history into it to quell rumours is strange.

Denerick · 06-09-2010 02:52PM

I don't think its particularly odd to share a bed with a man. Save on hotel costs on all of that. I'd wager many other men would say the same. If he's riding him thats a different story, but is there any evidence that he is? other than some seemingly 'odd' behaviour? I find this whole episode disturbing, how people are so quick to make judgements.

Lenny Lovett · 06-09-2010 02:55PM

Darlughda wrote: »

The good looking young fella has been fired from his role, and the british media seem to be zip-locked about this issue, so I reckon Hague is doing a cover up of his sexuality, at the expense of the lover and trying to pretend he is something he is not.

I still don't believe he's gay. But the Tories have a long history of dubious sex scandals so naturally the red tops are having a field day.

Denerick wrote: »

I dislike the lynching involved here. Hague has been a victim of scurrilous rumours all his career, and now nasty cretins on internet blogs are circulating pictures about as if it proves something because he looks camp and is wearing sunglasses.

This is the world we live in, and I thoroughly despise it.

It goes without saying that it is perfectly fine if he is gay - but don't you think that that should be his choice, not the media's?

Hague's sexuality isn't really the issue. The issue is that Hague hired a guy (alleged/rumoured to be his 'lover') to work in a role for which he has no experience or qualifications and paid for by the taxpayer. Hence the questions as to what hold Myres has over Hague.

Nodin wrote: »

Its that he hired - not for the first time - a virtually unqualified applicant over infinetly more qualified and experienced staff to a highly desired job at the British taxpayers expense. Were the individual female, the same problem would exist.

Exactly my point above.

nacho libre · 06-09-2010 03:23PM

Denerick wrote: »

I don't think its particularly odd to share a bed with a man. Save on hotel costs on all of that. I'd wager many other men would say the same. If he's riding him thats a different story, but is there any evidence that he is? other than some seemingly 'odd' behaviour? I find this whole episode disturbing, how people are so quick to make judgements.

I somehow doubt it most hetrosexual men, who are happily married, would share a bed with a camp man. The excuse of saving costs is just not credible considering Hague is a wealthy man.

So it is perfectly understandable why people are making judgements about this situation, when a Man who wasn't qualified to attain his position got it over people who were. It suggests nepotism and why is that so? In the absence of a credible explanation it's understandable people would be suspicious.

Denerick · 06-09-2010 03:38PM

nacho libre wrote: »

I somehow doubt it most hetrosexual men, who are happily married, would share a bed with a camp man. The excuse of saving costs is just not credible considering Hague is a wealthy man.

So it is perfectly understandable why people are making judgements about this situation, when a Man who wasn't qualified to attain his position got it over people who were. It suggests nepotism and why is that so? In the absence of a credible explanation it's understandable people would be suspicious.

The point is that if you aren't gay you're not going to automatically think 'OMG this might look gay to the tabloids'. It simply wouldn't be a big deal. I suspect those happily married men who would have a problem with this probably have sexuality issues of their own.

BTW, I don't know if the adviser is camp, I'm just assuming that he is.

nacho libre · 06-09-2010 04:06PM

Denerick wrote: »

The point is that if you aren't gay you're not going to automatically think 'OMG this might look gay to the tabloids'. It simply wouldn't be a big deal. I suspect those happily married men who would have a problem with this probably have sexuality issues of their own.

BTW, I don't know if the adviser is camp, I'm just assuming that he is.

well, unless he is extremely naive, a senior political figure, who is supposedly happily married, must know it's going to raise questions if it enters the public domain that he shared a bed with a camp/gay man. A man who it then subsquently emerges got the job, ahead of people who were actually qualified for the position.
What is his wife supposed to think if he proffers the excuse i just shared a bed with him to save costs? Does this really seem a plausible explanation for a guy who is very wealthy?

Pappy o' daniel · 06-09-2010 04:59PM

Nodin wrote: »

Its not that simple, alas. The individual concerned was given a plum job, over the heads of more qualified applicants.

That sounds very gay.

How Will The William Hague-affair Play Out

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