UK Ministers visiting

John Hartevelt at Stuff reports:

Two top-ranking British Cabinet Ministers will visit New Zealand next week to hold talks with the Government.

It was announced today that Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox will meet their New Zealand counterparts Murray McCully and Wayne Mapp from Thursday.

“The Asia-Pacific region is developing rapidly and this visit indicates Britain’s increased interest in the region,” Dr Mapp said.

“The visit by Defence Secretary Fox will provide an opportunity for us to review our co-operation.”

The two-day visit will be the first to New Zealand by Hague and Fox, who will be joined by UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir David Richards.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know William Hague, through various IDU Young Leaders Forums.

In the UK his parliamentary debating skills are generally held to be without peer. He is a very quick, witty debater.

He became Conservative Party Leader at the worst possible time, and it is no surprise he lost to Blair in 2001. During his time on the backbench he wrote a excellent biography of Pitt the Younger, which is a great read.

On a personal level, he is very down to earth, and easy to chat to. Some politicians will just talk to you for a few minutes and treat it as a duty, but William genuinely engages.

Hague is still only in his 40s, and may still one day become Conservative Party Leader again.