Morning:
8°c
William Hague revelations are ‘unfair’ to Ffion: Speaker’s wife
Joe Murphy, Political Editor3 Sep 2010
William Hague was today criticised by the wife of Commons Speaker John Bercow for releasing details of his wife's miscarriages.
Attacking the Foreign Secretary's handling of the furore, Sally Bercow said: “You don't need to disclose this level of detail to prove you're not gay.”
Mr Hague was at work today, drawing a line under the speculation that drove his aide Christopher Myers to resign on Wednesday. However, Tory MPs were braced for a fresh bout of claims in the Sunday papers. One party official said: “There is nothing to come out but there are bound to be insinuations.”
On Wednesday, Mr Hague released a personal statement admitting claims on a blog that he shared a twin hotel room with Mr Myers but denying they were lovers. The statement also revealed that he and wife Ffion had been trying for a family for years but suffered “multiple miscarriages”.
Labour-supporting Mrs Bercow said: “On a human level, I felt really sorry for Ffion Hague and for William.
“But my first thought was' why are you doing this?' I think he was given duff PR advice. It's elevated something that was circulating on the internet to the national press and national media. At the most, he should have just said he denied having a gay relationship and said he was happily married.”
Writing on her Twitter site, she commented: “Ffion — *why* did you let William announce that? Totally unfair on you.”
Mr Hague, 49, has come under fire from senior Tory Right-wingers, including John Redwood and Lord Tebbit. Some on the Right see the political furore as an opportunity to push for a more Eurosceptic foreign policy.
Lord Tebbit said Mr Hague had been “naive at best, foolish at worst” and also warned that the coalition government was losing the support of the Right.
Former Welsh Secretary Mr Redwood said the Foreign Secretary “now seems to understand it was poor judgment to share a room with an assistant”.
Reader views (18)
What goes around (Section 28) comes around, Mr Hague.
He who considers his fellow countrymen, women and transgender less than his equal has no right to be in a political position of power.
- Simon, London, 04/09/2010 12:09
Report abuse
Why does the BBC deem it fit to seek the opinion of an unelected nobody like bercows wife on this? This is clearly the left leaning nonsense of the BBC seeking to build profiles of its own captive left leaning rent a stupid comment friends. It is an outrage that she should have been asked an opinin on this on what basis - becoase sho married Bercow - is that all the qualification the BBC needs - utter rubbish and to see the spite and scum on left and right seek to exploit this - I for one support William Hague 100% a man of integrity in a trough of scum
- christian Ball, London, UK, 04/09/2010 11:10
Report abuse
Why give this dreadful, vulgar individual yet another chance to increase her exposure by printing her irrelevant, trite, attemptedly populist "opinion" (any excuse for another media outing huh)? BTW did anyone see the venomous, overly-aggressive tantrum that her wee hubby aimed at the poor young BBC reporter when asked about the politics surrounding his election to his current role? I thought that the role of Speaker in UK was to defend the honour, prestige and relevance of the house???
- A Britt, Brussels, Belgium, 03/09/2010 18:47
Report abuse
It would be a lot easier for Hague to come out rather than make elaborate statements about miscarriages, as if that proved anything.
- Nick, London, 03/09/2010 18:17
Report abuse
Who the hell cares what Bercow thinks?
"Looks like Hague's got it about right then."
- Stephen C, London
Couldn't agree more sir.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 03/09/2010 13:25
Report abuse
In order to stop all the speculation, why do we not just assume that all MPs are gay?
We could then move on to the real problems in the world.
- Peter Hooper, Windsor. UK., 03/09/2010 13:25
Report abuse
Wonder if William Hague stayed at an Not-Premier Inn?
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 03/09/2010 12:49
Report abuse
Bercow ought to advise his vulgar wife to mind her own business. Tax payers don't give two hoots about Hague's sexuality but we resent his appointment of an unknown 25 year old as an "adviser". It begs the question - if politicians cannot do the job without a posse of advisers then shouldn't they step down and allow the advisers run the country instead?
- R.F.York, Yorks, UK, 03/09/2010 12:39
Report abuse
Sally Bercow, Lord Tebbit, John Redwood, Max Clifford and Ed Balls....With characters such as these,this country faces an impossible task of regaining its reputation!
William Hague is a good,decent man and I hope he overcomes this agenda against him - any Liberal Democrat prats involved in this slure...I wonder?
- SatPat, London England, 03/09/2010 12:35
Report abuse
Given that William Hague said that he and his wife were fed up with these scurrilous rumours, it should be obvious to anybody that they discussed the matter and how to deal with it. I can't image he would have referred to her miscarriages without her o.k.
Sally Bercow is a member of the Labour Party so is stirring her cauldron. She has got children so I find her comments rather patronising.
If William and his wife are hoping to have a family then I wish them all the best and hope it happens for them.
- Janet, London, UK, 03/09/2010 12:32
Report abuse
I think the speaker of the house needs to tell his wife to keep her mouth shut. Yes she may be a Labour Party member and quite enjoying stirring things up, but there must be a code of conduct that the speaker has to adhere to, and his pillow talk with his wife that then ends up on twitter must be a breach of that conduct.
- blythe, east london, 03/09/2010 12:18
Report abuse
You are all still missing the point. No one cares if he is gay or not, however, why do we need to be told about his wifes miscarriages when proving his heterosexuality? If it was to gain sympathy, it's disgusting, if it's to prove that he doen't have children because of his wifes inability and not because he is a gay man, that is also disgusting.
The guy is a creep.
- kerry, Purley, 03/09/2010 12:06
Report abuse
Does a senior government minister who is responsible for the nation's foreign affairs really need a PR man to tell him that ruthlessly exploiting family tragedy to save his own political skin, is extremely unwise, and actually does nothing to prove or disprove the allegation that he is a homosexual, but as well as making sure it grips the headlines world's press, it also does a great deal to make people wonder what he has got to hide. If so then I would suggest he is not fit to hold high office.
If he really wished to clear his name he would take legal action against the organisation that first made the suggestions. That avenue, however, is fraught with danger for anyone who is not telling the truth.One MP who did that lost his case because his wife gave evidence that he was a homosexual, and he lost his case.
Perhaps the Tory Party should not be so homophibic about the personal lives of its MPs and Ministers, for their witch-hunting of people perceived homosexuals in their midst leads to double standards, dishonesty and hypocrisy, and as we now know there is too much of that in Parliament anyway.
- Neil, Cheltenham, England., 03/09/2010 11:54
Report abuse
Why is Sally Bercow particularly well qualified to comment on Hague’s PR strategy, when she showed complete ineptness running for parliament? First rule of politics may well be to ignore the rumour mill, but in this case the story had moved on from mere rumour to almost ‘accepted fact’, and Hague’s hand was forced. If - as he stated so categorically - it is complete rubbish, then he did need to set the record straight; not pretty - and he will forever be remembered for the announcement - but certainly necessary to move forward. With the red tops looking for any slip-ups, you really cannot afford such skeletons in your closet, especially in such a position of power. He may have been damned before, and he will for sure be damned after, but hopefully he can move forward and concentrate on his role as Foreign Secretary and try to maintain our diminishing position on the world stage!
- Ali, London, 03/09/2010 11:49
Report abuse
Ms. BerCOW, Tebbit, Redwood ,Clifford, Balls
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS
- MJ, East Anglia, 03/09/2010 11:49
Report abuse
As much as I dislike the Tory's and Hague in particular, he is still remembered as a disastrous 'Secretary of State for Wales' I really don't give a damn about his sexuality whichever way he wishes to swing. So long as it doesn't interfere with his job as Foreign Secretary then leave the guy alone.
- Tim, Newport, Wales., 03/09/2010 11:42
Report abuse
Everyone keeps saying he 'got bad PR advice'.
What if he didn't? What if he didn't take any PR advice and just decided to say what was on his mind after seeing his wife being constantly upset?
I think it's a sad world when we lambast our politicians for NOT going down the spin route, and just speaking plainly and from the heart.
Personally, I'd trust a man more who defends his wife and marriage than one who checks what doing that would look like in the press or polls...
- John, London, 03/09/2010 11:26
Report abuse
Sally Bercow, Lord Tebbit, John Redwood, Max Clifford and Ed Balls have all criticised Hague's handling of this matter.
Looks like Hague's got it about right then.
- Stephen C, London, 03/09/2010 10:47
Report abuse
