William Hague took former aide Christopher Myers on Afghanistan trip

William Hague took former aide Christopher Myers on Afghanistan trip

William Hague took his former aide Christopher Myers on a publicly-funded visit to Afghanistan before he had given him a job.

By Jon Swaine

Brittish Foreign Secretary William Hague (L), and his former aide Christopher Myers arriving for the first day of the 2009 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester Photo: AFP

The Foreign Secretary and Mr Myers, who resigned as his special adviser last week, spent two nights in Bahrain on the way back from the trip, in January this year.

Mr Myers also joined Mr Hague on trips to Northern Ireland that were funded by wealthy Conservative donors.

Details of the visits emerged days after Mr Myers, 25, quit his £30,000-a-year job advising Mr Hague, as the Foreign Secretary said the pair had shared hotel rooms.

In an unusually frank statement, Mr Hague last week dismissed rumours that they had had a relationship and disclosed that his wife Ffion had suffered several miscarriages.

It has now emerged that Mr Myers joined Mr Hague and George Osborne, the Chancellor, on the three-day Conservative trip to Afghanistan in January.

At the time Mr Myers, whose flights and accommodation were paid for by the Ministry of Defence, had no official job with Mr Hague or the Tory party.

Mr Myers was reportedly present as Mr Hague and Mr Osborne held discussions with British diplomats and troops, as well as Afghan leaders.

On the way back to Britain, he and Mr Hague stayed for two days in Bahrain, where they met the country’s foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifah.

Mr Hague later declared in the Commons register of member’s interests that he had paid for “my return flights to Bahrain”.

The Bahrain government, meanwhile, paid £1,115 to cover the cost of his two-night stay in a hotel. It is thought Mr Hague paid for a separate room for Mr Myers.

Mr Myers also joined Mr Hague on trips to Belfast, during last year’s European elections and shortly before the general election in May this year.

The 25-year-old worked as Mr Hague’s driver during the election campaign. The visits to Northern Ireland were paid for by Conservative party donors.

A Foreign Office official said the trips prepared Mr Myers for work in the department and it was not unusual for young people to work unpaid early in their career.

“If you want to learn about foreign relations, then going on these trips is an excellent way to do so,” the official told the Mail on Sunday.

“People who are passionate about politics are often prepared to work for nothing at the start.”

It was reported that the helicopter convoy carrying Mr Hague, Mr Myers and Mr Osborne in Afghanistan came under small-arms fire.

Mr Myers reportedly sent a text message about the attack to his mother, who told friends near the family home in Mr Hague’s constituency of Richmond, North Yorks.

MPs and political communications experts have expressed concern that Mr Hague’s candid statement about his personal life may have damaged his political reputation.

It was even speculated yesterday that Mr Hague, who was leader of the Conservatives between 1997 and 2001, may not stand at the next general election.

Over the last decade he built a substantial personal fortune by writing history books, taking lucrative directorships and being paid for after-dinner speeches.

Comment: Whatever in relation to gay or not, I believe it is increasingly difficult for William Hague to remain in his job as Foreign Secretary. In Chris Myers favour, if he worked at anytime for nothing either for William Hague or the government then a Employment Tribunal would look favourably upon his claim at least for the National Minimum Wage. The more that comes out in the wash the dirtier the water gets...