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 | | Tuesday, 9 October, 2001, 17:24 GMT 18:24 UK Hague wins Tory cheers  Iain Duncan Smith won praise from William Hague William Hague joked about his short stay in the Conservative high ranks as he heaped praise on his successor at the party's conference. Mr Hague won a standing ovation from the Conservative faithful as he appeared at the podium in Blackpool and recalled the time he addressed the conference as a teenager. "I gave a speech in this hall when I said half of you won't be here in 30 years time and actually, I was wrong," he said to laughter. "Because 24 years on you're still here and I have come and gone." Tribute to successor The former leader paid a fulsome tribute to the skills and qualities of new Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who had shown himself to have integrity and a "cool and calm head" when he served Mr Hague's shadow cabinet. "He has clear qualities which are hard to argue with, qualities of integrity.
Mr Duncan Smith also had the quality of simply wanting to serve his country, he said. Mr Hague, who is the only former party leader to attend this year's conference, said he was confident Mr Duncan Smith would receive "unwavering support" from the party. And in a poignant moment, he referred to the moment when he resigned from as leader after the Tories dropped to another crushing defeat at the polls in June. "I am sorry that we fought and lost in the election this year but we will fight again and we will win again, and I and you will do our utmost to bring that about," he told representatives. Other former leaders such as Sir Edward Heath and John Major have chosen to stay away from this year's gathering, while Lady Thatcher agreed not to attend so Mr Duncan Smith was not overshadowed in his first conference as leader. | |
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