William Hague: It's been great but time is right to go

It is 38 years since he addressed a Conservative conference as a teenager and cheekily declared that 'half of you won't be here in 30 or 40 years' time'.

Mr Hague performed the ceremonial opening of Nishkam Primary School in Great Brickkiln Street.

The school, formerly Anand Primary, became the city's first free school when it opened its doors in 2012.

It currently has 54 pupils in two year groups but bosses want to eventually take 420 adding a new reception age group each year.

It has since been taken over by Birmingham-based Nishkam Education Trust.

Mr Hague, now Leader of the House of Commons, first came to political prominence 38 years ago as a 16-year-old addressing the Tory party conference and famously declaring half the audience would not be around within 40 years.

After a welcome from children from the Trust's schools, including 11-year-old Amarpreet Singh, he said: "I gave a speech as a 16 year old.

"You gave better speeches than I hear in the House of Commons."

In an interview with the Express & Star Mr Hague discussed his career, his decision to retire as an MP and his work with Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie.

Now he feels that his own time has come to leave politics and he is retiring as an MP at the General Election in May.

The 53 year old was in Wolverhampton to formally open the Nishkam Primary School in Great Brickkiln Street as a guest of city MP Paul Uppal.

Mr Hague had the thankless job of leading the Tory party after Tony Blair's landslide 1997 election victory and predictably failed to get the Conservatives back into power. But he has gone on to become a vital member of the Coalition Government.

He held the post of foreign secretary, standing down to become Leader of the House after telling David Cameron that he would be going at the election.

He has shared a platform with Hollywood royalty Angelina Jolie as the pair campaigned against sexual violence in conflict.

But what would the teenage Hague make of him now?

"I suppose he would be quite happy 38 years later that he did become a politician and hopefully achieved some things.

"I think he'd be pleased I had the good sense to stop at the right time. It's important with politics, as it is with everything else, that you go out while you're still enjoying it before people wonder why you haven't gone away before.

"I think he would be happy with what happened. I have had a great career in Parliament and it's great that there are so many wonderful people on the way up that I can step back now with some real talent and great candidates. We're in good shape in the Conservative party."

The opinion polls suggest the party has a long way to go to pull ahead of Labour and avoid another coalition.

The task ahead, Mr Hague said, will be easier if they do not have to join forces with a rival party.

"It's about completing what we started," he said. "I led the Conservative negotiating team after the last election. Coalition imposes many constraints. I would like my colleagues to be free of having to negotiate every day.

"The Coalition has achieved a complete turnaround of our economic prospects. I would like to see that completed. Just as we've had two million apprenticeships in this Parliament, we want to see three million apprenticeships and abolish youth unemployment. We now have the fastest growing economy in the G7."

Perhaps we will see him in the background as Angelina Jolie uses whatever advice he has given her.

"Ooh, I don't share with anyone the advice I've given to Angelina Jolie," he said.

"We've worked together and co-founded the global campaign to prevent sexual violence in conflict and I will continue that work after leaving Parliament.

"There are a couple of causes I want to continue with. I will continue to work with her on that, using all the contacts, all the reputation we've developed. We will keep on that vital work. I will keep trying to end the illegal wildlife trade.

"But Angelina Jolie doesn't need advice from me. She knows how to present herself very well. Her integrity and knowledge of these issues is enormous. Sometimes people think a Hollywood celebrity is just a name. But really she has the huge commitment and knowledge of all the issues."

He has no regrets about his time as party leader, but admits it may have been the wrong time for him personally. "It did come too soon in a narrow sense. In a career sense it came to soon. But somebody had to do it then. Somebody had to do the night shift, as I said once or twice before, and somebody had to hold the Conservative party together through that difficult time.

"Having done that I went on to be foreign secretary which is the job I wanted to do and did for four years. I've no regrets about that at all.

"My proudest moment is passing the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995. I designed that act.

That is my proudest achievement," he said.