William Hague, the former foreign secretary, is to take over as chairman of London’s military thinktank, the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), in September.
Hague said: “At a time when we face an increasingly complex and unstable world, we need ever greater insight and scrutiny into the challenges confronting our global security and defence.”
It is a gamble by Rusi appointing such a prominent politician, opening it up to charges of Conservative bias. As a counter to that, Hague left the Foreign Office with a good reputation among diplomats, is the author of several historical biographies and is generally liked by opposition MPs.
He takes over from Lord Hutton of Furness, who has held the post for five years.
Prof Michael Clarke, director general of Rusi, said: “The Right Honourable William Hague is the most ideal choice of chairman to succeed Lord Hutton in this role. His experience at the very top of UK politics since 1997 is unrivalled and his status as a global figure is exactly right for the next phase of Rusi’s development.”
Hague stood down at the last election after serving as an MP since 1989.
Rusi, founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington, maintains close military links.
