SO what exactly was William Hague trying to prove with his revelations about his hard-drinking past?

The Tory leader used to drink 14 pints a day when he was a teenager - so forget any notion you may have had that he was a studious young man with his nose in Hansard.

Oh yes. William could drink most of us under the table as a lad. Ten pints were supped during his lorry round, and then he'd down another four after a short break for tea. He was a real man, don't you know.

It's not quite how the drinkers of Rotherham remember him. It's fair to say that there is a fair amount of scepticism in local pubs about Billy the Boozer.

We, of course, have no reason to doubt his word. Our question is: what is the point of dredging it up?

Perhaps Mr Hague is trying to cultivate a more macho image to appeal to the working man. After all, he also talked about lifting heavy barrels and working up a sweat.

Perhaps he wasn't expecting us all to take him so seriously. Or perhaps it was just a belated attempt to make Euan Blair feel better.

Whatever the motive, it wasn't his smartest move. Boasting about drinking 14 pints won't impress anyone. Frankly, the working man will think he's making it up, and others - particularly women - will consider it the kind of boorish behaviour that is to be discouraged.

And, with teenage drinking such a contentious issue, isn't it also rather irresponsible to talk in a way that suggests that drinking seven times the Government's recommended alcohol limit is all rather normal?

Somehow we suspect that Mr Hague will wake up this morning with a feeling reminiscent of a hangover, when drinkers can't quite remember whether they've said or done something stupid the night before.

Bon voyage to the Blairs

THE Blair family clearly didn't want to do it, but they did it anyway. The smiles were rather forced, but it was over very quickly.

They've reluctantly done their bit by posing for their holiday pictures. Now they should be left alone to enjoy some well-earned peace and quiet as a family