Quotes by William Hague

Governments that block the aspirations of their people, that steal or are corrupt, that oppress and torture or that deny freedom of expression and human rights should bear in mind that they will find it increasingly hard to escape the judgement of their own people, or where warranted, the reach of international law.

— William Hague

Freedom

There's only one growth strategy: work hard.

— William Hague

Success

Let's not be afraid to speak the common sense truth: you can't have high standards without good discipline.

— William Hague

Truth

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.

— William Hague

Freedom

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.

— William Hague

Hope

To the teacher weighed down with paperwork, I say: you've been messed around too often. You came into teaching to spend your time teaching children not filling in forms.

— William Hague

Success

We have to face the reality of climate change. It is arguably the biggest threat we are facing today.

— William Hague

Wisdom

Egypt is a sovereign nation.

— William Hague

Wisdom

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.

— William Hague

Wisdom

I have found that I get a better reaction from people once I am less bothered about their reaction.

— William Hague

Wisdom

When we have a Deputy Prime Minister who tells people not to drive cars but has two Jags himself, and where the Minister who tells people not to have two homes turns out to have nine himself no wonder the public believe politicians are hypocrites.

— William Hague

Wisdom

Unless there is meaningful change in Syria and an end to the crackdown, President Assad and those around him will find themselves isolated internationally and discredited within Syria.

— William Hague

Wisdom

For the security of the UK, it matters a lot for Somalia to become a more stable place.

— William Hague

Wisdom

Very few conflicts in the history of the world have been satisfactorily concluded according to a published timetable, because you lose all flexibility in dealing with your opponents.

— William Hague

Life

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.

— William Hague

Success

A generation of children has been betrayed.

— William Hague

Wisdom

I don't deny that there are problems in the intelligence world, but I would argue that in the UK we try to uphold the highest standards in the world.

— William Hague

Life

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.

— William Hague

Wisdom

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.

— William Hague

Hope

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 by the EU. That needs to change.

— William Hague

Wisdom

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.

— William Hague

Wisdom

In my view what you can't argue for is a system that is neither decisive nor proportional and can be indecisive and disproportionate at the same time.

— William Hague

Wisdom

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.

— William Hague

Life

The EU is not a country and it's not going to become a country, in my view, now or ever in the future. It is a group of countries working together.

— William Hague

Success