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William Hague

William Hague Quotes

British Politician

William Hague is a prominent British politician, born on March 26, 1961. He served as the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom and is a key figure in the Conservative Party.

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Famous William Hague Quotes

“You can see over time whether people are prepared to differ or not.”

People Prepared

Author:William Hague

“Time is not on Gaddafi's side. People ask about the exit strategy. It's Colonel Gaddafi who needs an exit strategy because this pressure will only mount and it will be intensified over the coming days and weeks.”

People Needs Asks Sides Week Pressure Strategy Exit Colonels Gaddafi

Author:William Hague

“To the hard-working people who set a little bit aside each month, to provide for their children, or to fund their own retirement, I say: you should be rewarded not punished.”

People Should Children Littles Hard Bits Hard Work Months Little Bit Fund Retirement Each Month

Author:William Hague

“We are not directly involved in Syria. But we will be working with our partners in the European Union and at the United Nations to see if we can persuade the Syrian authorities to go, as I say, more in that direction of respect for democracy and human rights.”

Ifs Humans Nations United Democracy Rights Involved Authority Unions Human Rights Partners Syria United Nations European Union Democracy And Human Rights

Author:William Hague

“At a time of such hope and optimism in the Middle East, we cannot let the Libyan government violate every principle of international law and human rights with impunity.”

Humans Government Law Principles Rights Middle Optimism International Human Rights East Middle East International Law Impunity Optimism And Hope

Author:William Hague

“I believe we should reframe our response to climate change as an imperative for growth rather than merely being a way of being green or meeting environmental commitments.”

Way Should Believe I Believe Growth Commitment Green Meetings Climate Response Environmental Climate Change Imperatives

Author:William Hague

“I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that people won't believe the Government of the day, so they have to know that lessons have been learnt and that all political parties and people, whether they were for or against the invasion of Iraq, have learnt lessons.”

People Thinking Knows Way Believe Has Beens Government Political Left Party Lessons Iraq Political Parties Invasion

Author:William Hague

“I'm going to reduce the size of the Cabinet, cut the number of ministers, reduce the size of the House of Commons, campaign for a European Parliament with 100 fewer members, halve the number of political advisers, and abolish a huge swathe of Labour's regional bureaucracies - and agencies and their offices in Brussels.”

Political House Numbers Cutting Huge Members Office Size Campaigns Ministers Agency Labour Fewer Bureaucracy Parliament Cabinets Abolish Adviser Brussels House Of Commons

Author:William Hague

“If there's one thing above all that sets me apart from Tony Blair, its this: Im not embarrassed to articulate the instincts of the British people.”

People Ifs One Thing Instinct British Embarrassed Blair

Author:William Hague

“Inspiring scenes of people taking the future of their countries into their own hands will ignite greater demands for good governance and political reform elsewhere in the world, including in Asia and in Africa.”

People World Country Hands Political Greater Scene Demand Including Reform Elsewhere Asia Governance Ignite Good Governance Political Reform

Author:William Hague

“Iran's continued, widespread persecution of ethnic minorities, human rights defenders and political prisoners is a disgrace and stands as a shameful indictment of Iran's leaders.”

Humans Political Leader Rights Human Rights Minorities Iran Prisoner Persecution Disgrace Shameful Defenders Indictment Political Prisoners

Author:William Hague

“It's really necessary for the United States to continue to give strong leadership to the Middle East peace process, supported by European countries at the same time.”

Giving Country States Strong Process United United States Middle East Middle East European Countries

Author:William Hague

“Obviously a Conservative government will always leave taxes lower than they have been under Labour. Those things go with the territory of the Conservative Party.”

Has Beens Government Party Taxes Conservative Labour Territory Conservative Party

Author:William Hague

“People feel that the EU is a one-way process, a great machine that sucks up decision-making from national parliaments to the European level until everything is decided at that level.”

People Way Needs Feels Process Decision Levels Decided Machines One Way Decision Making Parliament Need A Change

Author:William Hague

“Spending only what the country can afford, rewarding savings, encouraging independence, supporting marriage: people know that these things are common sense.”

People Knows Country Common Independence Spending Common Sense Saving Savings

Author:William Hague

“Syria should not belong to one family, to one coterie, or to one party. It belongs to all the people of Syria equally, in all their religious and ethnic diversity.”

People Should Religious Party Diversity Syria Ethnic Diversity

Author:William Hague

“The appalling crackdown that we witnessed in Hama and other Syrian cities on 30 and 31 July only erode the regime's legitimacy and increase resentment. In the absence of an end to the senseless violence and a genuine process of political reform, we will continue to pursue further EU sanctions.”

Ends Political Process Cities Violence Increase Absence Genuine Pursue Reform Regimes Resentment July Sanctions Legitimacy Hamas Erode Political Reform Senseless Violence

Author:William Hague

“The Bill of Rights was intended to secure freedom of speech - the freedom of speech of members of parliament to speak freely rather than be at threat of... the threat of an over powerful monarch at the time.”

Speak Powerful Rights Speech Members Bills Threat Secure Freedom Of Speech Parliament Bill Of Rights Monarchs Members Of Parliament

Author:William Hague

“The EU should be concentrated on adapting to globalisation and global competitiveness, not building more powerful centralised institutions in Brussels.”

Should Powerful Building Institutions Adapting Competitiveness Brussels Globalisation

Author:William Hague

“The people of Britain want a Home Secretary who will give them back their streets. They want a Home Secretary who will speak up for the victim, not the criminal.”

People Want Giving Home Speak Streets Victim Criminals Britain Secretary

Author:William Hague

“The world is not going into concentric blocs of power. It is actually going into a diffusion of power with more centres of decision-making than ever in human civilisation. That requires you to place yourself in far more hubs of power than ever before.”

World Humans Decision Decision Making Centre Civilisation Hub Diffusion

Author:William Hague

“Today further EU targeted sanctions on Syria come into force. The message is clear and unambiguous: those responsible for the repression will be singled out and held accountable.”

Today Force Clear Messages Responsible Syria Repression Sanctions

Author:William Hague

“We are making progress militarily, there is no doubt about that. You've seen the reports from Misrata, although reports of the Gaddafi forces completely pulling out of Misrata seem to be exaggerated.”

Seems Force Doubt Progress No Doubt Reports Pulling Exaggerated Gaddafi

Author:William Hague

“We're not getting involved in terms of sending ground forces into Libya. Let's be clear about that. And indeed the UN Resolution forbids that. It says no foreign occupation of any part of Libya.”

Force Term Clear Involved Resolution Occupation Libya

Author:William Hague

“Well, if you're looking for me to lead a normal representative life, well good luck finding a foreign secretary who'd be like that - totally dependant on the political system and has never earned any money. Then you'll get the politicians you deserve.”

Ifs Wells Political Politician Normal Findings Deserve Luck Representatives Secretary Good Luck Political Systems

Author:William Hague

“When a Cabinet Minister who is sacked for telling lies is re-appointed, in the face of every constitutional convention, only for the same man to be sacked again from the same Cabinet for the same offence by the same Prime Minister no wonder the public are cynical about politics.”

Men Faces Lying Wonder Ministers Prime Conventions Cynical Prime Minister Cabinets Offence Telling Lies Constitutional Convention

Author:William Hague

“Where defining foreign policy as 'ethical' went wrong was that it implied that all decisions would be exclusive in every respect of any dealings with unethical regimes.”

Would Be Decision Policy Ethical Regimes Foreign Policy Defining Exclusive Dealings Implied Unethical

Author:William Hague

“Gordon Brown promised to abolish boom and bust. He has kept half his promise.”

Half Promise Brown Abolish

Author:William Hague

“When the Lord Chancellor violates the trust of his great office of state to solicit party donations from people whose careers he can control, and then says I'm not sorry, and I'd do it again no wonder the public think that power has gone to their heads.”

People Thinking States Party Wonder Lord Careers Gone Office Sorry Donation Not Sorry Great Office

Author:William Hague

“Not all politicians are bonkers, but most of them are.”

Author:William Hague

“It is the mission of the next Conservative Government to build the Responsible Society.”

Government Next Responsible Conservative Missions

Author:William Hague

“How long do Syrian families have to live in fear that their children will be killed or tortured, before the Security Council will act? How many people need to die before the consciences of world capitals are stirred?”

People World Needs Children Long Dies Security Conscience Council Security Council

Author:William Hague

“When we said that no more areas of power should go to the EU we were right. And now thanks to the European Union Act 2011, by law that cannot happen without a referendum. And we are just as right that the EU has more power in our national life than it should, and I believe as strongly as I ever have that when the right moment comes this party should set out to reduce it.”

Should Believe Said Moments Happens Law I Believe Party Areas Unions Thanks European Union Right Moment Referendums

Author:William Hague

“On the question of taking credit for what goes right and blame for what goes wrong - having led the Conservative party for four years, I have never heard of this notion before.”

Years Party Four Heard Blame Notion Conservative Credit Four Years Conservative Party

Author:William Hague

“It is not my policy to hit voters during the election.”

Policy Election Voters

Author:William Hague

“It makes life very simple actually. You could be giving a TV interview in howling gale and it no longer matters.”

Giving Matter Simple Tvs Appearance Interviews Gale

Author:William Hague

“It was inevitable the Titanic was going to set sail, but that doesn't mean it was a good idea to be on it.”

Mean Ideas Inevitable Good Ideas Sail

Author:William Hague

“I think Britain would be alright, if only we had a different Government.”

Ifs Thinking Different Government Would Be Britain Alright

Author:William Hague

“You have to have as many defences in place as you possibly can. But even then of course - and it's important to stress this - you cannot guarantee being able to prevent every attack or every kind of attack.”

Kind Important Able Courses Stress Guarantees Defence

Author:William Hague

“Labour have been listening for too long to the so-called experts who think that competition is a dirty word and that communicating facts to our children is elitist.”

Thinking Children Long Has Beens Facts Listening Our Children Competition Communicate Dirty Experts Labour Elitist Dirty Words

Author:William Hague

“I gave up lots of things I love doing: writing, and business, and playing the piano and so on.”

Writing Piano Gave Up Things I Love

Author:William Hague

“Governments that use violence to stop democratic development will not earn themselves respite forever. They will pay an increasingly high price for actions which they can no longer hide from the world with ease, and will find themselves on the wrong side of history.”

World Use Government Action Sides Pay Forever Violence Development Democratic Ease High Prices Respite

Author:William Hague

About the Author

Born: March 26, 1961
Known for: British Politician
Quotes: 92

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