Conservative leader William Hague has faced a question-and-answer session at the Huddersfield Daily Examiner’s headquarters.

He appeared before an invited audience to answer questions that readers had sent in by letter, fax and e-mail.

It was the first time he had faced the public in such a format.

Afterwards he said it had been “an enjoyable experience” – and he’d like Mr Blair to do something similar.

The Examiner’s coup came when Mr Hague visited Huddersfield for a Conservative Party dinner.

He spent 50 minutes in the newspaper boardroom answering the questions, which were put to him by Examiner editor John Williams.

Two reporters got the job of taking down his answers – and they provided the broadsheet with a two-page spread in its edition the next night.

The front page carried a picture of Mr Hague against a photographic backdrop of the Examiner offices.

During the session Mr Hague pledged a new deal on pensions and spoke of plans to establish schools which would be allowed to run their own affairs.

His audience also put their own impromptu questions to make sure he did not have an easy ride.

Examiner editor John Williams said it had been a golden opportunity for readers to quiz Mr Hague ahead of the forthcoming General Election.

He said: “Mr Hague had not done this kind of a question-and-and answer session for a local or even a national paper. As far as I’m aware, we were blazing something of a trail here.”

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