Hague Speaks Good Sense

William Hague made a rather off balance return to government as Foreign Secretary. First there were personal issues and a departing aide, then one or two uncharacteristically lacklustre performances in the Commons. People began to wonder if his heart was in the job. Maybe he wondered also.

He shows increasing signs of not only finding his feet but of shaping a much more independent foreign policy than we have seen for many years, which not only evaluates British interests, but also defines the deeper meaning of unfolding events. This gives his words a much more sophisticated ring than the State Department driven mantra of several of his predecessors. There are signs too that Downing Street does not always get its way. Hague is beginning to show sharper judgement than Cameron, when it comes to assessing the best way forward. I am not at all sure that he was as gung ho for military action as Cameron over Libya.

We shall now have to wait on events, before we know whether he will make the transition from politician to statesman. Libya, Syria, the Palestinian State in the making, Afghanistan, the Taliban, Pakistan and of course the nervous Israel are all big issues on their own. Taken together they are a challenge of complexity. A lot could go wrong. But if the right judgement calls are made a lot could go right. More than we ever imagined. Hague’s shadow could then  take a good deal of light away from Cameron and Osborne.