London - For the second time within a year Mr William Hague, the Conservative Party leader, has had to deny plagiarising the speeches of senior Labour politicians.
His "British Way" speech to the Tory conference last week, which bore striking similarities to a speech by the Chancellor, Mr Gordon Brown last year, follows accusations earlier this year that Mr Hague purloined major sections of an address by the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair. A Conservative Party spokeswoman said the charge was "scurrilous".