William Hague

Oxford-educated, Hague began his career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. He then became the youngest ever Tory MP when he was elected in 1989 (succeeding Leon Brittan) and went on to become the party leader, resigning in 2001 when Tony Blair’s Labour government achieved a second landslide victory.

When the coalition government then the following Tory government got into power, Hague was called back into various key positions, including First Secretary of State, Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons. Known and respected for his direct way of delivering a speech in a pronounced Yorkshire accent, Hague makes for an excellent motivational speaker because he combines gravitas with a sense of humour that even his Labour opponents have acknowledged.

William Hague was an MP for 26 years, stepping down in May 2015 and taking a life peerage in the House of Lords. However, he has also kept active as an author, business adviser and supporter of various causes.

Most notably, the former Welsh Secretary worked as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict alongside the actress and UN special envoy Angelina Jolie. This saw the pair in a high-profile campaign to end rape in war.