Editing William Hague (section)

===Early political career===
Hague contested [[Wentworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Wentworth]] unsuccessfully in [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]], before being elected to Parliament at a [[1989 Richmond (Yorks) by-election|by-election in 1989]] as Member for the safe Conservative seat<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stoddard|first=Katy|date=7 April 2010|title=General Election 2010: Safe and marginal seats|url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/apr/07/election-safe-seats-electoral-reform|access-date=31 October 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=7 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007181355/http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/apr/07/election-safe-seats-electoral-reform|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Majority Sorted Seats|url=https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/orderedseats.html|access-date=31 October 2021|website=electoralcalculus.co.uk|archive-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409214546/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/orderedseats.html|url-status=live}}</ref> of [[Richmond, North Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond, North Yorkshire]], where he succeeded former [[Home Secretary]] [[Leon Brittan]]. Following his election he became the then-youngest Conservative MP and despite having only recently become an MP, Hague was invited to join the Government in 1990, serving as [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], [[Norman Lamont]].<ref name="profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4680|title=Rt Hon William Hague MP&nbsp;– profile|access-date=1 July 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080506100701/http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4680 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 6 May 2008}}</ref> After Lamont was sacked in 1993, Hague moved to the [[Department of Social Security]] (DSS) where he was [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State]]. The following year he was promoted as [[Minister of State]] in the DSS with responsibility for Social Security and Disabled People.<ref name="profile"/> His fast rise up through Government ranks was attributed to his intelligence and debating skills.<ref name="BBC profile">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2163208.stm|title=William Hague|work=BBC News|date=16 October 2002|access-date=16 October 2014|archive-date=11 October 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031011162120/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2163208.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Hague was appointed a Cabinet Minister in 1995 as [[Secretary of State for Wales]];<ref name="profile"/> succeeding [[John Redwood]], who had been castigated for being seen on TV apparently miming the [[Welsh national anthem]] at a conference; thus, Hague sought a [[Welsh Office]] civil servant, [[Ffion Jenkins]], to teach him the [[Welsh language|words]]; they later married.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1308157.stm|title='Spin doctor' grooms Ffion's election look|work=BBC News|date=2 May 2001|access-date=1 July 2008|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108113124/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1308157.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> He continued serving in Cabinet until the Conservatives were defeated after 18 years in government, by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] at the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]].