Hague found it surprisingly easy to form a confidence and supply deal with Unity
“William Hague has signed up to Unity's six point plan, moving the two parties closer together. “We will continue to move forward until we reach an agreement,” said lead negotiator Jeremy Clarkson on Friday morning. He explained that the talks over the coming days will be divided into four policy blocks: economy, education and R&D, social, and institutions. Unity knows that if it is to act as kingmaker to National, it must not be seen to be not involved in any graft. The first of Unity's six points requires National to expel anybody charged with corruption from the party. The fourth point demands an end to amnesties for those found guilty of fraud, and the sixth calls for a commission to look into the Harrison case. The other points call for greater transparency in the way Britain's parties draw up their lists of candidates and elect leaders.” - National and Unity sign pact ahead of confidence vote, BBC News Bulletin (2017)
Negotiations between the National Party and Unity seemed to go well, especially on the economic front, a strong commitment to the Troika bailout package, the need for harsh economic discipline and stronger trade union laws were swiftly agreed on both sides. Unity even agreed to shift some of it’s demands on a political corruption bill, narrowing the scope of the bill to a very narrow definition of “personal enrichment” on behalf of politicians. This was a rather major concession on Sugar’s party considering several leading National Party politicians were under direct investigation for corruption. Unity also quietly dropped their demands for Hague to resign, with a third election unthinkable, the parties were willing to move heaven and earth to secure a government. Fear of a radical left surge pushed them together.
After a week of negotiations a formal deal was enacted between Unity and the National Party, with the Ulster Conservatives and Northern Irish Liberals also signing up to the centre-right pact. Over a 150 policy points were agreed, including extended maternity leave for new mothers, raising taxes to lower the deficit, and a commitment to depoliticise public services, most notably the judiciary, the last vestige of Mountbattenism in the British state. The deal also made overtures to the Social Democrats, with many policies carrying over from the SDP/Unity pact including ring fencing benefits for lower-income families, increased spending on education and an 8 billion euro commitment to tackle child poverty.
The establishment needed a government, less the populist threat grew
Despite offerings to the left Burnham remained unmoved, continuing to insist his MPs would vote against any Government led by Hague. The People’s Party set on Unity - both being the youngest of Britain’s political parties - accusing Sugar of “giving himself away” to National. Hague’s attempts to find his final three votes also failed, as the SNP, Plaid and Ecology parties all walked out of negotiations with National. However with Sinn Fein and the Speaker abstaining, National could form a simple majority of one with just the support they had. It was a risky move and would create an inherently unstable government, but time was running out. Hague decided to go for broke, presenting himself to the Commons he dared them to vote him down, banking that no National or Unity MP would cross the floor against him.
“Hague hopes Plaid Cymru will need his support for a Welsh Parliament and that in exchange, the nationalists will back him in the Commons. Unity's vocal hostility to Plaid Cymru means it may refuse to keep its pact with Hague if the nationalists are involved. Such subplots help explain why the UK's new era of politics has failed to produce a government. Unity’s own survival is dependent on the stalemate coming out in its favour. A third election could deal a near-fatal blow to the party. Unity risks losing more ground to Hague’s party as Britain’s wish for stability trumps any desire for political renewal. “We don’t want to seize power, but we do want to have the power to change things,” Sugar said before December’s election. With each passing month, Unity's attempts to be the bridge builder of British politics risks fading.” - Alan Sugar’s Faustian Bargain, Guy Hedgecoe, Politico (2017)
Hague bet correctly, with uncharacteristic discipline National held ranks, even as the opposition scrambled to stop them. 87 year old SDP MP Gerald Kaufman had to be carried into the lobby on a stretcher to vote against Hague’s accession to Downing Street. With 246 to 243 votes Hague was elected as Prime Minister as 4 Sinn Fein MPs abstained, as did the speaker and his deputy. The Parliamentary opposition was too divided to stop Hague taking the crown whilst National’s whips had worked through the night to persuade, intimidate or even blackmail it’s MPs into keeping the faith. Hague had taken a big risk in forcing a vote without a definite majority, but it seemed to pay off.
Unity backbenchers feared it would follow Reform to the dustbin of history
Hague became the second British Prime Minister elected to a second term - a real achievement considering his personal approval ratings, all of his enemies were too busy fighting each other to stop him. But it had taken all of his political capital to get through the last few months, every favour, every secret, every late night phone call. Hague was spent before even reentering Downing Street with his political agenda at a real risk of stalling beneath a tiny Commons majority and internal enemies. Now he had to appoint a Cabinet that would please not only his own backbenchers, but Unity MPs as well. It would be a deft process, one wrong appointment could upset the apple-cart and he’d have to start all over again.
William Hague Cabinet 2017-
- Prime Minister - William Hague
- Deputy Prime Minister - Jeremy Clarkson
- Chancellor of the Exchequer - Nicholas Soames
- Foreign Secretary - David Davis
- Justice Secretary - Michael Clapp
- Defence Secretary - Amber Rudd
- Home Secretary - Graham Brady
- Development Secretary - Jo Swinson
- Education Secretary - Philip Hammond
- Industry, Tourism and Trade Secretary - Arlene Foster
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Secretary - Tim Cross
- Public Administrations Secretary - Joanna Penn
- Culture Secretary -Nick Harvey
- Health Secretary - Justine Greening
- Environment Secretary - Karen Bradley
- Housing Secretary - Arron Banks
Hague made a strong attempt to modernise his Shadow Cabinet, whilst old military hands like Soames and Davis stayed in the senior positions of Treasury and Foreign Affairs, the number of commissioned officers in the frontbench was reduced to just four - a record for National. In their place Hague mainly promoted women, especially younger rising stars including Amber Rudd to defence and Jo Swinson to development. Jeremy Clarkson, one of Hague’s closest allies and strongest media performers was made a jack of all trades as Deputy Prime Minister - in other words Hague’s designated press attack dog. Britain had its first elected Cabinet in over a year and it was full of personalities.
“Altogether, nine new ministers make their appearance in Hague’s government. Defence Secretary Nicholas Soames, who oversaw controversial military reforms, has been promoted to Treasury. Outgoing foreign minister, David Bannerman had sparked regular spats with Brussels and it is unclear how much his successor David Davis will focus on the ongoing sovereignty row. Home Secretary Steven Woolfe, is replaced by Graham Brady, former leader of National in Greater Manchester. Meanwhile Amber Rudd, until now secretary General of the National Party takes up the defence portfolio. Joanna Penn was named minister for the regions. Penn will have teje delicate task of managing Westminster’s relations with Scotland, where an independence drive is in full swing.” - UK’s Hague appoints EU-friendly Cabinet, Adrian Croft, Reuters (2017)
Clarkson and Soames, both pro-EU and close to Unity, saw promotion