Yorkshire nostalgia: William '˜the younger' meets Maggie at conference

Why, it’s none other than William Hague, former leader of the Conservative Party, standing “shoulder to shoulder” (as politicians often like to say they do, although here he is actually doing that), with possibly the most influential politician of the 20th Century, the one, the only Margaret Thatcher - the Tory leader who transformed a nation, smashed the unions and single-handedly created the modern day property market by introducing the still controversial ‘right to buy’.

The picture above was taken in October 1977 and shows Mrs Thatcher with a then 16-year-old old Rother Valley schoolboy - Mr Hague - after he received a standing ovation from delegates at the Tory party conference in Blackpool for his passionate speech.