William Hague "entertains"

Europe had stopped breeding while the Middle East and India had a rocketing population, according to former British Conservative party leader William Hague.

While in Saudi Arabia a woman on average bred 6.3 children, women in Europe were giving birth to 1.3. A country had to have population growth in order to grow economically, Mr Hague said.

Meanwhile there were more Chinese people learning English in China than there were people speaking English in the UK, which meant that the Chinese would be moving to countries with a low birth rate.

Giving a lively and at times side-splitting commentary, Mr Hague was 'entertaining' over 200 delegates who are attending the annual conference of the Institute of Travel and Tourism of the UK.

Recalling moments in his political career, which was meteoric until he resigned as Conservative leader two years ago, Mr Hague said that together with his colleagues he was always trying to come up with a tricky question to trip up British prime minister Tony Blair.

One day they thought of asking him whether he believed in Santa Claus.

If Mr Blair were to answer yes, the newspaper headlines would read: 'Blair, 48 still believes in Santa Claus'. If he were to answer no, the headlines would read: 'Blair does not believe in Santa Claus: Spoils Christmas for millions of children'.

But the question was not put.

But one day Mr Hague thought of asking Mr Blair when he thought the Labour government would introduce the euro and Mr Blair blurted out that Britain would introduce the currency within two years.

"There were two men in the room who were stunned by that reply. I was one of them and the other was (British) Chancellor (of the Exchequer) Gordon Brown. But I could not go on with my questioning, which I had prepared thinking that Blair would answer no.

"At least I spurred on the debate which is taking place today at the House of Commons, although I will not be there."

On the euro, which Britain said yesterday it is not yet ready to adopt, Mr Hague said: "More and more people have become opposed to the euro over the past couple of years.

"While Mr Brown is saying that he expects the British economy to grow by 2.5 per cent to three per cent, such growth cannot be achieved if the country joins the euro because European economies are flat and really struggling."

North Korea, the Horn of Africa and the area around Iran will be the new flash points that could have a telling effect on tourism and economies.

Mr Hague said North Korea intended to produce nuclear material which the US felt would be passed on to terrorists.

Meanwhile, the US was building up an incredibly disproportionate military power, the likes of which have not been seen since the Roman Empire.

"The US forces will no longer remain compatible with the result that no other force would be able to fight alongside them," he said.

On Cherie Blair, the British prime minister's wife, Mr Hague said he could not understand all the fuss by the British newspapers when she was criticised for her acquaintance with an Australian con man last year.

"After all," Mr Hague said, "it was the second time in her life that she got involved with a con man."

The politician

William Hague resigned as leader of the Conservative party in June, 2001, after the Tories' second successive landslide defeat. He was the first Conservative party leader not to become prime minister since Austen Chamberlain in the 1920s.

He is a judo blue belt.

His book on William Pitt will be published shortly. Pitt was the youngest prime minister on record, winning the position at the age of 24 in 1783.

"It will be a politician's perspective on a politician," he said.