Hague and Clegg to share country seat
By politics.co.uk staff
The foreign secretary’s grace-and-favour country house is to be shared with Nick Clegg, it was confirmed last night.
William Hague could have expected to have the run of Chevening, a 115-room mansion in Kent, by himself before the general election.
But the reality of coalition government means he will have to share the property with the deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader.
“Successive governments have used official residences for government business such as key meetings and hosting international leaders,” a Downing Street spokesman said last night.
“The residences are not owned by the government but held in trust.”
When Gordon Brown became chancellor he declined the use of Dorneywood, a Buckinghamshire 21-room house set in 200 acres. Instead John Prescott used the home.
It was here where he was pictured playing croquet on the lawn after he had given up his ministerial duties.
George Osborne will use Dorneywood for government business, No 10 said.
