Former Tory leadership contender who fell out with foreign secretary over Welsh language row becomes most senior Tory to speak out about Hague's current troubles

John Redwood, the former cabinet minister and failed Tory leadership contender, became the most senior Conservative to criticise William Hague today.

On his blog, which usually covers weighty economic matters, Redwood said Hague had shown "poor judgment" in sharing a hotel room with his former special adviser, Christopher Myers.

This is what Redwood wrote:

His statement confirms that he has shared hotel rooms with a young male assistant, and argues that this assistant was well qualified to become a special adviser to the Foreign Office. Mr Hague has now accepted the resignation of this special adviser, Mr Myers. Mr Hague tells us he did not have an inappropriate relationship with this young man. Let us hope this is now an end to the matter. Mr Hague himself now seems to believe that it was poor judgement to share a hotel room with an assistant.

Redwood then returns to high policy matters as he concludes his blog saying that the "bigger issue of judgment" for Hague is how he handles the EU.

How does he intend to win over Euroceptics to his tenure at the Foreign Office?

Redwood is reflecting the widespread feeling in the Tory party that Hague once again made an error of judgment when he appointed a 25 year old with little knowledge of foreign affairs as a special adviser.

But there is history here. Hague replaced Redwood as Welsh secretary in 1995 when the latter resigned from the cabinet to challenge John Major for the Tory leadership after the former prime minister's "put up or shut up" challenge to the Eurosceptic right.

Redwood's worst moment as Welsh secretary came when he was filmed struggling to keep up with the Welsh national anthem. The footage emerged during the 1995 the leadership contest.

Here it is in its full glory:

Hague made sure that he was not caught out in the same way. He took Welsh lessons with a bright young civil servant, Ffion Jenkins. She is now his wife.