The Rt Hon the Lord Hague of Richmond

The Rt Hon the Lord Hague of Richmond has been a prominent political figure for more than 20 years, serving as Leader of the Conservative Party and as Foreign Secretary. After announcing his intention to step down, he concluded his political career as First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons. He led the negotiating team that created coalition government in 2010 and then, over four years as Foreign Secretary, he dealt with a turbulent period encompassing wars in Libya and Syria, withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Ukraine crisis, the struggle against terrorism and relations with Europe. He expanded Britain's diplomatic network and placed a renewed emphasis on export success. He was also responsible for two of Britain's intelligence agencies, and visited more countries than any Foreign Secretary in history. His mix of public and private sector experience, both domestic and international, has given him a deep knowledge of the inside of politics and the reasons for growing instability in world affairs. But he also speaks with great authority on the impact of technological change, population movement, economic trends and the rise of religious intolerance on our economy and all our lives. Having known many global leaders, he also has a unique perspective on different styles of leadership – drawing on numerous debates with Tony Blair and first-hand knowledge of the World’s Presidents, from George W Bush to Vladimir Putin. He is also an accomplished historian, author of two bestsellers and winner of the History Book of the Year Award, for his biography of William Pitt the Younger. He continues with his humanitarian work, including the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative which he co-founded with Angelina Jolie Pitt, and work to combat the illegal trade in wildlife for The Royal Foundation. William was born in Rotheram and after attending a local comprehensive, he studied at Oxford and INSEAD, and worked in management consultancy. He then served as Member of Parliament for Richmond for 26 years.