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William Hague launched a savage attack on Gordon Brown's "calculating cynicism" in foreign affairs today as he vowed a Tory government would restore Britain's pride overseas.
The shadow foreign secretary said the Conservatives would create a "distinctive British foreign policy" that looked beyond the European Union and built better alliances with America, India and the Commonwealth.
Mr Hague claimed the UK was "in retreat" across the globe and only the Tories could reject the "strategic shrinkage of Britain's role" abroad. In an assault on the Prime Minister's "chaotic decision making" and reliance on spin, he said the Lockerbie bomber fiasco and delays over an Iraq war inquiry underlined Mr Brown's personal failure to lead.
The Prime Minister was "bringing to foreign affairs the same calculating short-term cynicism that is bad enough when kept here at home". Mr Hague said that there was a need for a US-style National Security Council for Britain and signalled that the Tories would tilt foreign policy away from Brussels and focus instead on the India and China because "power in the world is in any case shifting rapidly to the East".
Reader views (8)
Graham in Netherlands must be on the wacky backy. William Hague has never been Prime Minister. Dohhhh!
- Mikey, Guildford
If William Hague was genuine about this, wouldn´t he have done this when he was PM? Sit down Mr Hague, you´ve already had your chance.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands
What does Hague want now? A referendum on whether to have chow mein or chop suey. He seems to be even more irrelevent now than when he was playing second fiddle to Thatcher at the 2001 Election Campaign.
- C Morgan, Kensington England
Phil Jones, London UK, in a nutshell,m8.
- Steve, England
Excellent Mr Hague... well done
- Paul, Bromley
William Hague, this country decided exactly what they thought of you several years ago, can't you take a hint?
- D.W., London
@ Phil Jones, London UK
I concur.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
The starting point, William, is to make it clear just what the U.K. is. Is it a self-governing sovereign country, or is it an E.U. province???? Everything flows from that. Provinces don't deal with sovereign countries like China; countries deal with countries. Start with telling the people of the U.K. if they are going to get a referendum on the E.U. Constitution (Lisbon Treaty). If the Lisbon Treaty is fully ratified and the new federal system of government comes into place, the U.K., France, Germany, etc. become provinces which will be leaving it to the new central government in Brussels to deal, as a country, with China, the U.S., and other countries.
- Phil Jones, London UK
