Fffffffffion Hague [Cheltenham Festival]

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Ffion Hague, wife of Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, was careful not to contradict her husband's criticism of Gordon Brown in her talk at the Times Cheltenham Literature Festival last night.

Her lecture was based on the life and loves of First World War Prime Minister David Lloyd George, and although she occasionally strayed into modern times to draw comparisons with the current Prime Minister, she kept them markedly brief.

Lloyd George was Chancellor before becoming Prime Minister, she explained, just like Gordon Brown who, she said "seems to be enjoying going back to that role, these days."

When pressed by audience members to draw a comparison between Brown and Lloyd George, she would only say that times were very different, and that Lloyd George's relationship with the press was more conspiratorial, if not cosy, than Brown's is today.

Mrs Hague’s book, The Pain and the Privilege, charts the love-life of the notorious Welsh lothario Prime Minister, who even kept a mistress in Downing Street as an employee. The packed audience at the Cheltenham Town Hall laughed when they heard how it was actually Lloyd George’s wife who revealed to him the infidelity of his mistress, Frances.

Mrs Hague compared the antics of Lloyd George, a died-in-the-wool Liberal, to the reported youthful exploits of current Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who revealed to GQ earlier this year that he had slept with over 30 women. She said: “I’m glad to see that modern Liberal leaders are trying to keep up [with Lloyd George]. But Nick Clegg has a long way to go.”

Beyond a few light-hearted references to her life as a “political spouse” – her husband William had a 32-ton Eddie Stobart truck named after her – Mrs Hague spoke with great passion about the lives of the women in Lloyd George’s life, but avoided the controversial topics of modern politics.

After William Hague earlier this month branded Gordon Brown’s reshuffle a “stunning failure”, his wife knew not to steal focus, although her husband may have disagreed when Mrs Hague said: “I’m assured there is no easy path to Number 10.”

When speaking of Lloyd George’s long-suffering wife, Margaret, Ffion Hague said: “She never contradicted or publicly embarrassed her husband.” And nor did Mrs Hague.

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