I can’t believe the nonsense surrounding the William Hague story at the moment and feel quite sick that he felt the only thing that might silence the braying voices is an insight into the tragic family life of the Hagues.
Perhaps he should have just ignored these rumours and they might have gone away. But what exactly is being hinted at? At worst he had a relationship with a 25-year-old aide, but the fact they are both male once again points to the mad obsession the media seem to have with homosexuality in the mainstream.
Who knows why he shared a room, a twin room by the way, maybe Tory party coffers aren’t what they were.
From a PR point of view though, it doesn’t look good simply because it seems we can’t be grown up about these things.
Now, to the ‘heartfelt’ statement as it is now known, it seems to have done more harm than good in one sense as the story is continuing to feed off itself and so everybody is seeking out comments from Tory MPs who are dutifully supplying useful sound bites for the World At One, and all the rest.
It’s a shame that he had to play that card, or felt that he did, and it seems even the revelation that he and his wife are grieving over their latest miscarriage isn’t enough to put a stop to the story.
But what amazes me most is that all the mainstream media are running a story based on rumours, nothing more, which as a journalist I was taught on day one to either prove it, or bin it.
If there is any evidence, let’s hear it, if not, do we want a media that is happy to circulate rumours as legitimate stories in the mainstream press?
I should say I’m neither a Tory, nor gay, but I am left with an overwhelming sense of ’so what’, when I hear that a Tory MP may have had a gay affair.
Although, I can see that that picture of Mr Hague in the skinny white top and wrap around shades probably got the gaydar bleeping for somebody.

simonp Uncategorized