National Archives: Margaret Thatcher vetoed William Hague job in 1983 Margaret Thatcher blocked William Hague's appointment as a political adviser to the Treasury at the age of only 21, saying it would be an embarrassment to the government. Thatcher responded characteristically strongly to the Treasury suggestion that Hague - now Britain's foreign secretary - might be employed as a speechwriter for Geoffrey Howe and Leon Brittan, who were then the chancellor and chief secretary to the Treasury. She wrote "NO," firmly underlined three times, on the letter requesting her approval for the appointment: "This is a gimmick and would be deeply resented by many who have financial and economic experience." Sir Robin Butler, Thatcher's private secretary, told Treasury officials: "The prime minister said, however promising Mr Hague is, the appointment of someone so young with so little experience would be an embarrassment to the government and resented by many people with more experience in the Conservative research department." Butler told Thatcher privately that "it was a bit difficult to see what a 21-year-old will contribute as a special adviser at the Treasury," but added that Hague had already turned down his adoption as a parliamentary candidate in order to do the job. The official Treasury note told Thatcher that she no doubt remembered Hague's 1977 party conference speech as a 16-year-old, when he had famously told the delegates that the prospect of Labour staying in power worried him. "Half of you may not be here in 30 or 40 years' time," he said. But I will be and I want to be free. Thatcher also had reservations about giving Hague access to Treasury policy papers. A spokesman for Hague said the foreign secretary now thought that Thatcher had taken the right decision. He worked for the Conservative research department for three months in the runup to and during the general election campaign as a speechwriter for Geoffrey Howe and Leon Brittan. It was a great experience and a wonderful introduction to politics at a high level. Thatcher had no such qualms about approving a job for another, perhaps better connected, current cabinet minister. Sir Keith Joseph wanted Oliver Letwin, then 26, to work as his special adviser at the Department of Education. "You know his parents, Shirley and Bill Letwin," Joseph told her. Oliver, after a brilliant career at Cambridge, has just come back from a year at Princeton. He is a particularly mature as well as intelligent young man. Thatcher agreed. She was, however, reluctant to agree to a request from Michael Heseltine to look for "one or two black special advisers" to advise him on inner-city policy. Thatcher agreed to the idea, but said that they should only be employed on a voluntary basis. When it was pointed out to her that all the special advisers were paid, she replied: "Yes ... but everything hinges on finding the right person (s)."