William Hague is known to earn a good chunk of £1m each year from the public speaking circuit on top of his £60k MP’s salary. Tonight, Hague’s wedge was being provided in return for being the MC at the 2006 Accountancy Age Awards.
As a joke, he told the assembled 1,300 accountants (what an exciting do that must have been) that it would have been “better if Plymouth Rock had landed on America’s founding fathers”. (The Mayflower pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620).
Is this the kind of diplomatic language we should expect to hear from a man aiming to be Foreign Secretary after the next general election? C’mon William, tell us what you think of the French, Germans, Chinese and Bangladeshis too.
editor[at]recessmonkey.com
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Nicking jokes off Cole Porter (Anything Goes, 1934)? Poor show, Billy Boy.
e10 rifles said this on November 16th, 2006 at 12:09 am
Crikey, it really is an old joke!
Recess Monkey said this on November 16th, 2006 at 1:14 am
The French smell- work-shy, go on strike at any expense, eat unedible foods, produce unrequired foods which get turned into vinegar at the cost to the continent of Africa…RM you’ve hit a sore point here
Martinez said this on November 16th, 2006 at 10:36 am
Just like Yasmin Alibhai-Brown the other day saying that the ‘white working class’ were sponging off hard working immigrants. Imagine someone saying ‘immigrant working class’ sponging off the natives. Of course that’s what they used to say, as Yasmin would no doubt point out. My response - in that case, don’t stoop to their level.
Hague and Cameron are having a tough time of it. They are supposed to be the American-siding tough on crime lot, yet to get on the bandwagon they’ve got to be seen as anti-US, and Cameron seems to be exploring new territory with his hoodie-hugging. I’m confused.
Political Umpire said this on November 16th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
I can remember watching Hague on Have I Got News For You coming out with a suprising high degree of xenephobia for a political of his apparent standing. Does anyone have in writing what he said - it was a few years ago.
HenryG said this on November 16th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Hague is a complete knob and this is yet another piece of proof of his unsuitability for the relative eminence he has achieved. However compared with the rabid hate filled anti americanism so endemic in the mass of the Labour party and the left in general these days this pathetic joke isn’t even on the radar.
matt said this on November 16th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Well this certainly knocks the Yates letter off the top news spot… tsk… come on Recess Monkey or you will be re-named as Retard Monkey if you cannot do any better…
Peter Parsons said this on November 16th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
I thought it was based on something Malcolm X said of African-Americans: “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock - Plymouth Rock landed on us”. Maybe the Tories are changing….into something very strange.
Simon said this on November 16th, 2006 at 9:18 pm
Although, of course, it probably WOULD have been better if Plymouth Rock had landed on America’s founding fathers
machiavelli said this on November 17th, 2006 at 10:59 am
What have his earnings got to do with him making inappropriate comments? Usual New Labour politics of envy…
Ed said this on November 17th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
What happened to the Jowell story?
Simon Templar said this on November 17th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
First Jowell can find her specs, then we can’t see her story. What’s happened to it?
Berlusconi said this on November 17th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Did the monkey panic after biting the hand the feeds him? What happened to Tessa Jowell? You pathetic cowardly creature.
davetheslave said this on November 17th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
Perhaps some sort of server error contrived to delete the most recent posts, recess?
Dutch said this on November 17th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
Jowells gone again…
you’re starting to look flaky RM.
get a grip ffs
blunt said this on November 18th, 2006 at 12:29 am
Publish and be damned - dont be seen to be a Labour lickspittle you sad pathetic creature!
Pete Tilbury said this on November 18th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
When you deleted the Jowell article you deleted my witty remarks as well - we creatures should stick together.
mutley said this on November 18th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Put the Jowell article back you COWARD.
Anon said this on November 18th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
I think relations with America will survive one very weak joke from the Shadow Foreign Secretary. It’s not a story. No one cares.
Did you hear about that really terrible speech given by Tessa Jowell? You should do an article on that….
Pope Leo said this on November 18th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
Did you hear about that really terrible speech given by Tessa Jowell? You should do an article on that….oh u did and u took it down ahhh tonys lacky.
mitch said this on November 18th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
Have you thrown the towel in or this just a recess, monkey?
Praguetory said this on November 20th, 2006 at 1:45 pm