He's still only 44, but we've already had four Tory leaders since he was in charge of the party.  So if William Hague had any hair he'd be the grey eminence of the modern Conservative Party.

Today he was back at Prime Minister's question time by the request of David Cameron (who is taking some paternity leave following the birth of his third child).  Given Hague's wit at the despatch box it might as well have been by popular demand or as Tony Blair put it rather more grudgingly: "The jokes may be good but the judgement's not so."

Judge for yourself, here are Hague's quips today:

* "This must be the first time in history that all three parties have been represented by a stand-in"(With reference to Cameron's absence, the LibDem leadership contest and Gordon Brown.)

* "A water-tight law to catch the guilty rather than a press release law designed to catch the headlines" ... "Old powers he won't use, new powers that we have seen abused."(on today's Terrorism debate)

* "What did he mean?" (on a quote from Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott).

* "A long time since I've been asking questions but it seems even longer since I've had an answer". (on his performance at PMQs today).

MPs on all sides were roaring with laughter. But perhaps you had to be there - What did you think about William Hague's performance and that of the other leaders?

Compare your views with my guests - Julia Hartley Brewer and Bruce Anderson - live tonight at 9.30pm on PMQs.

*

Comments

[sue, Lincolnshire 22 Feb 2006 14:49:51]

William Hague was brilliant. Blair finds it hard to get the better of him. It certainly made PMQ much more watchable!

[Damon - Birmingham 20 Feb 2006 13:25:21]

What Gary from Stoke On Trent doesn't seem to realise is that whilst the Labour Government may spend more of OUR money on Hospitals a lot of it isn't well spent. For example City Hospital in Birmingham recently built a new extension - the problem was that after the building was finished they found that some of the rooms were too small to hold the scanners and other equipment that was to go in them! The only thing they could do was spend more money knocking walls down to fit everything in!

[sebastian - Liaoning Province; China 20 Feb 2006 04:34:07]

Didn't hear or see PMQs, being in China at the time. But I read Adam's account. I like Hague. Always did. Probably cut out to be a future Conservative PM. I hope he makes it. Very witty; the Brits like a laugh more than anything. Hague's wry observations ignite genuine mirth. Much healthier than the sort of smouldering, morbid chortling Blair's recent pronouncements have often kindled. They say laughter is the best medicine. Parliament, looking pretty sickly these days, needs the Hague Tonic more than ever. Love or loath his political views, you'd do it with sore ribs and a cheery grin.

[Maurice - Northumberland 17 Feb 2006 16:11:43]

Don't worry about it Jonathan, no opposition ever wins an election, the incumbent Government loses it.
And from recent events I suggest Blair has made it impossible for GB or any-other Labour leader to win the next one! Even if they go from Nu-Labour to Old Labour or maybe provisional Labour or Real Labour, it will still be the party that has wrecked the country, as history shows it does as a matter of course, 1979 was not a good year.
Though GB will probably be to Blair as Callaghan was to Wilson, a never to be elected PM. Tail End Charlie always gets the heat, so Grabber Prudence Gordon like Callaghan is toast.

[Maurice - Northumberland 17 Feb 2006 15:54:01]

Gary - now we know you are a windup merchant, your hospital I believe:
The University Hospital of North Staffordshire admitted for the first time last night that staff will have to be made redundant to wipe out its debts. Until now, officials had hoped measures such as a recruitment squeeze may be enough to slash the Hartshill complex's overspend of between £15million and £18million.

But it has emerged that will reduce the near 7,000 workforce by just 260 posts - nowhere near the 1,200 jobs that need to go to balance its books by a deadline of March next year.

Chief executive Antony Sumara this week wrote to all employees asking for voluntary redundancies, early retirements or reductions in hours to try and shed more posts.

Human resources director Margot Johnson said: "We do not know yet what response we will get from the letters but sadly there will come a point where we need to make compulsory redundancies.

"We are not in a position to say how many will be involved or when that will happen, however."

Executives of the hospital, which needs to cut its overall spending by £30 million to ensure it stays in the black, also revealed the financial crisis had pushed up sickness leave over the past three months as morale has sunk.

Not forgetting that the Utopia you refer to is that many hospital are becoming part time organisations, or that in the North - Care homes for the elderly have been and are closing on a regular basis. But that's Labour's Utopia apparently.

[Jonathan - Newcastle 17 Feb 2006 13:43:26]

Typical tory again, they ask plenty of supposedly funny questions but have no policies to speak of. As long as the farmers have their subsidies & their MP's get their free flights then they dont give a stuff about real people. Once again Blair showed that they are simply no match for PM who has always strived to help the people that need it. When you think back to life under the tories I dont know how people even contemplate trying to get them back into government.

[Kenny Davidson, Argyll 17 Feb 2006 01:13:23]

Just heard the whole thing via the Guardian's podcast. Most entertaining PMQ's for ages; Hague shows his mastery of the dispatch box has not diminished with his time away. He has surely got to be the once and future King of the Conservatives.

[gary elsby stoke-on-trent 16 Feb 2006 16:48:03]

Oh come along Ed- The new Labour 'neo-nazi's' as you call them are doing the exact opposite of what you're claiming.

You claim that in 'real terms' they are spending less on health than the NHS loving Tories. Oh yeah?

In real terms, Tony the magnificent, is spending each and every year (in real terms) a full 7% extra into the NHS until it reaches the 'European average'.

This is happening everywhere around Britain.

Heath care and spending is increasing in line with spending and it therefore goes that patient waiting lists are being eradicated.

We have the best healthcare now in the UK since the creation of the NHS model.

It is deliberate but it is causing problems in the short-term and is being adjusted for the longer term.

The money pumped in is from the increase of 1% in employers and employees NI contributions and is ring fenced.

You should celebrate this achievement Ed this is the beginning of Utopia.

Gary

[Maurice - Northumberland 16 Feb 2006 13:49:42]

GARY - you are either extracting the proverbial, or you get your info from the No.10 waffle factory. Saying it time and time again as the Government does not make things true. As the whole country knows.
To just keep on writing the Government un-truths only exposes the depths they will go to retain power and avoid reality.

[Ed Ward, Mooi Nooi, SA 16 Feb 2006 09:27:22]

James, there were THREE Smith brothers:
George, Iain and Duncan Smith.

(Just for the record)

[Ed Ward, Mooi Nooi, SA 16 Feb 2006 09:25:18]

Gary,
I didn't 'assert' (in the context of making a positive, unqualified statement of evidence) anything of the sort. I 'predicted' that the over-expenditure described probably resulted from bureaucratic or administrative inefficiencies. If all the institutions discussed yesterday are in debt, the money must be going somewhere and I don't see how reduced waiting lists can justify all of it. Surely the increased salaries of doctors, et al, must be accommodated in Blair's blanket catchall of: "in real terms". If they aren't then we may justifiably infer that 'in REAL real terms' Labour are putting in less than the Conservatives. It sounds like 'in real terms' is just a typical Labour sophistry.

If, as YOU assert, it's simply because of overspending and that these hospitals (and fire stations) are just obeying orders, why did Blair chastise his critics at PMQs by telling them that these organisations should stick to their budgets?

It doesn't matter how much more than the Conservatives Labour commits to public services, in real terms or otherwise, it's evidently still not enough OR these organisations are being wasteful.

One of the latter assertions MUST be true.

[Josephine Lewis Bristol England. 16 Feb 2006 00:27:20]

It is a pity that William Hague cannot be the Conservative Party leader again, he is by far, the best Prime Minister this country "has never had", and even sadder that we lost the late John Smith, who was the best leader the Labour Party had, put Paddy Ashdown back too, and the three leaders would have been perfect.

I have a lot of respect for William Hague, i wish i had seen him on PMQ'S, perhaps it will be repeated.

[mick stevenage 16 Feb 2006 00:19:05]

Extremly good show by Hague who was always underrated as a PM, usual rhetoric by New Labour and thus nothing of a suprise

The conservatives at least have their act together and its clear for all to see that Blair and co can only swipe at personalities instead of answering questions over their dodgy bills and dodgy doings

hopefully the Tories continue on their succes and next election we can be rid of this absymal Labour shower who seemingly wont be content till they have sold our nation to brussels and removed all our civil rights

[James, London 15 Feb 2006 22:05:20]

Four Tory leaders since Hague? Are you counting the Smith brothers (Iain and Duncan) seperately?

[chris, suffolk 15 Feb 2006 20:29:37]

Again another victory for spin over substance. Contrary to what Blair and others were saying, most of the banners carried in the recent demonstrations did not glorify terrorism. For saying death to those that defame islam is not actually glorifying terrorism. I also wonder if Mr Blair will now be asking for the removal of IRA murals on walls in Northern Island, which probally does glorify terrorism, I doubt it.

[Peter, Fife, Scotland 15 Feb 2006 19:20:26]

I think Tony Blair summed it up; "the jokes are good but the rest is not." Even William Hague was lost and embarrassed when returning to the dispatch box after a mauling from Tony Blair. William Hague is obviously not using David Cameron's script writer as the quality of the jokes had improved. The substance of his questions were as before hence why he is an ex leader; although I must admit I find him more personable than David Cameron.

[Kikun, Birmingham 15 Feb 2006 18:16:36]

Hague was on sparkling form. PMQs ceased to be anything other than a forum for ya-boo politics a long time ago. Hague's return, at least, brought some entertainment.

[Roger,Fleetwood 15 Feb 2006 18:02:48]

I am glad Hague is back, he is an honest down to earth guy, unlike the Spin Meisters of New Labour.
Just like John Major whom will always be up there in my estimation for stopping Kneal (not mis-spelled) Kinnock become PM.
Neil Kinnock, possibly the only politician who could have moved to Brussels to sort fraud out and not only keep turning a blind eye to it but go after any whistle-blowers with the energy he should have used to combat fraud.
Hague & Major, the good old days. Over to you now Dave.
PS how long before the red-tops start calling him Cambo ?

[gary elsby stoke-on-trent 15 Feb 2006 17:39:24]

I like william Hague, he's intelligent, articulate and quite witty. When it comes to politics, his choice of profession, he's flawed.When it comes to leadership, he's found wanting.

The Tory party is beginning to hate itself less as the days go by, but they are still way out in the political wilderness.

All successful Tory PM's have been tough on Europe and tough on the causes of Europe.
The truth is that they were loyal to Europe as they were to Great Britain.

William hadn't got a clue when it came to Europe. He, I'm told,is still going round the Country with the slogan '24 hours to save the pound'.What a nut!

This is why he was dumped by the Country and by his party and this is why cameron will never see No.10.
Europe is not the big issue as the Tory nutters would pretend that it is.
ID cards, smoking,terrorism,CCTV,that is enough to certify most 1980's political activists but today, nobody's too concerned.

Over the last ten years, equality of opportunity has dominated the Blair agenda and results show that the three times winner, Tony(the champ) Blair has been supported by the voters in his quest to redistribute wealth back from the rich to Labour's new middle classes (formerly the working classes).

Hague needs to be more than intelligent, funny and witty and needs to show potential leadership that benefits the Country and retains equality of everything for all and not just his raving right wing backbench anti Euro nutters.

To Ed Ward in SA. You are wrong in your assertion that Labour is wasting money in the NHS. Here in Stoke,if you want Herceptin, you've got it. Cost is not a barrier to treatment.

Our brand new state of the art hospitial is being celebrated by sacking 700 employees.
The reason is simple: We have more funding than ever before, more nurses on more pay and more Doctors on even more pay with reduced hours of 48Hr per week.
The waiting list is vastly reduced and more patients are being treated.

The NHS is doing exactly as Blair orders it to. Herein lies the problem.
It is spending £1M each month over budget and the books are being balanced.

Gary

[tony - South Africa 15 Feb 2006 17:32:55]

I always enjoy PMQ's and today was particularly entertaining with the "substitutes" holding down the fort for the oppositon parties. William Hague's punchlines as usual lit up the session and I think at the end of the day it was honours even to all sides.

[douglas, hampshire 15 Feb 2006 17:20:07]

Though i really would not describe myself as a labour supporter, you cannot help but admire Blair, he is exceptional in front of the camera, very quick off the mark. Though i do question whether any scrutiny actually goes on in question time, it just seems to be one big public school old boy club with lots of 'banter'.

[saz, london 15 Feb 2006 15:26:26]

TB gets so much slagging off these days it's only fair that he has someone on his side and balance it up abit...

[Michael, Ireland 15 Feb 2006 14:53:24]

The jokes and one lines were not like the old classic jausts between Blair and Hague.
Does anyone remember the one liner when Hague said (in relation to Blair's leadership inthe BSC Crisis) that the Mad Cows weren't the only ones missing a backbone. Blair was agahst.

[Maurice - Northumberland 15 Feb 2006 14:14:28]

SAZ if the Labour Party leader was the Yorkshire Ripper you would vote for him, love him to bits and go weak at the knees looking at him - so give us a break.

[saz, london 15 Feb 2006 13:54:11]

I thought both main party leaders were good, I always enjoyed PMQ's with Blair and Hague, although as a natural Blairite, I will always say Blair did better

[Ed Ward, Mooi Nooi, SA 15 Feb 2006 13:29:58]

I wasn't particularly impressed with anyone today although, that being said, it was a good laugh in parts. Tony has gotten the hang of this forum and, distressingly, does it exceptionally well. I think one of the reasons for this is simply that most of the questions (certainly the ones I heard today) pretty much lead with the chin. Blair's too well prepared with his bagful of statistics and party rhetoric.

One of the issues I would (personally) attack him on is the evident dichotomy between government investment into social services and the apparent service levels (and bankruptcies) experienced by the public. Blair invariably tells the house that Labour has put X pounds/percent in real terms more into services than the former Conservative government but I would propose that someone (Cameron presumably) investigates the extra investment (in real terms) asserted by Blair and the actual operational costs (in real terms) of NHS hospitals, fire and police services. I would predict that administrative costs and system inefficiencies under Labour have soared and consequently the additional funding claimed is more than swallowed up by (for want of a better word) cock-ups under the present regime. The net result being that Labour are actually spending LESS on health care etc. in terms of actual treatment reaching the patient then ever before.

Another comment Blair made with respect to not being able to make private sector dentists do NHS work struck a chord. Surely it would be possible to incentivise private dentists (in Wales) by giving them more than 100% tax relief for NHS work. So for every 200 quid they bill the NHS they get (say) 300 quid knocked off their tax bill. The tax lost would be relatively insignificant but at least it provides a service in the interim while new NHS dentists are being trained up.

By the way, I am somewhat disturbed by Blair's insistence on the word 'glorification' in the proposed bill. I can think of a couple of rather sinister semantic uses for this particular legislation. I am not happy about this turn of events at all. Why didn't Hague suggest, for example, that 'listened' be replaced by (mutis mutandis) 'audience' in the Lord's amendment? Surely this would have effectively defused Blair's counter argument. I'm not sure of the purpose of this legislation anyway. Incitement to violence (in the specific form of terrorism) is adequately provided for through various existing (and tested) acts. The proposed act seems spurious and (as Ming put it) 'opaque'. It appears to be, as Hague observed, just eye-catching media sparkly legislation to make it look like Labour is doing something useful and distracts from admitting that they are largely responsible for the increased tension anyway.

My marks (out of 5) would be Blair 4 (very consistent), William Hague 3.5 (half a mark for the jokes), Ming 2 (ineffectual really)

I just wish Blair was really a representative of the historic, socialist, Labour Party instead of this neo-Nazi crew he's heading up today.