Rt Hon William Hague MP

First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Foreign Secretary on the Commonwealth

"…the Commonwealth’s unique character as a network is only now becoming apparent…it is a growing organisation of fifty-four countries, spanning every continent and containing a quarter of the world’s governments and every major world religion. 800 million Hindus, 500 million Muslims and 400 million Christians live in the Commonwealth. It contains India, one of the world’s most populous countries, and Nauru, one of its smallest. This diversity within democracy is the Commonwealth’s unique attribute."

Foreign Secretary's Bio

William Hague was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 12 May 2010.

William Hague was elected to Parliament in 1989 and is the Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks).

He was born in Rotherham in 1961, and attended Wath-on-Dearne Comprehensive School. At Magdalen College, Oxford, he was elected President of the Oxford Union. He continued his studies at INSEAD Business School in France, and worked for Shell UK and then for the management consultants, McKinsey and Co.

He has written two books. His first book, a biography of William Pitt the Younger, was published in September 2004 and won 'History Book of the Year' at the National Book Awards. His following book, a biography of William Wilberforce, was published in June 2007.

He is married to Ffion Hague.

Positions held:

• MP for Richmond, Yorkshire, 1989 – present
• Parliamentary Private Secretary to Norman Lamont, Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1990-93
• Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the DSS, 1993-94 
• Minister of State for Social Security and Disabled People, 1994-95 
• Secretary of State for Wales, July 1995 – May 1997 
• Leader of the Conservative Party, June 1997 – Sept 2001 
• Shadow Foreign Secretary, Dec 2005 – May 2010
• First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, May 2010 - present

Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for the work of the Office
• Policy Unit
• Honours
• Whitehall Liaison Department
• Cyber Security

Key foreign policy speeches as Foreign Secretary

Britain's foreign policy in a networked world

Britain’s prosperity in a networked world

Britain's values in a networked world

International security in a networked world