Reputation Management Online

Though unconfirmed stories of William Hague’s sexuality have been circulating in Westminster for some time now; with the emergence of the first hint of allegations surrounding his 25-year-old special adviser, Christopher Myers, rumour mills have been abuzz with the latest updates from his personal life. The fact that he hired a third adviser when his predecessors had just two after David Cameron has pledged to cut back on political advisers, was in itself a subtle nod towards the homosexual relationship rumours.

A series of pictures that showed Hague and Myers strolling in London had raised fresh queries about the nature of his friendship with his “special” adviser. The newspapers came up with more stories about the foreign secretary’s private life, questioning whether there had been a misuse of public money in the appointment of Myers. Hague, the coalition’s most senior minister is in indeed in a tight spot, as inquisitive journalists have filed Freedom of Information requests seeking information on the nature of trips  undertaken by Myers, how much he was paid and his detailed job description.

Things were far from smooth in Downing Street after the appointment of Myers, a 25-year-old with little expertise in foreign affairs, which ultimately boiled down to the resignation of Myers. Many Tory members felt that he should have had a job in Hague’s parliamentary office because he is a key adviser in Hague’s Richmond constituency and not as his adviser.

Downing Street was never pleased with the way Hague handled the matter and many Conservative members had expressed their displeasure in the messy handling of the issue by Hague. In the wake of these allegations Hague released a personal statement revealing highly personal details about his marriage and his firm commitment to his wife in an attempt to dispel rumours about his sexuality and to safegurad his online reputation. The dramatic statement by Hague, who confirmed that Myers had decided to resign because of the pressure of “untrue and malicious allegations” about him, came after rumours hit the webspace.

He seems to be doing what should be done if the allegations are true by going into details of his marriage. Somehow the story seems to be just unfolding!