A grammar school in every town would 'level up' Britain in no time The loss of the local grammar school is surely a key factor in the narrowing of opportunities for people growing up in "left behind" towns 4 May 2021 • 4:38pm The secret of good politics, just like good comedy, is timing - and William Hague got his all wrong when he became Tory leader just after Tony Blair’s landslide election win of 1997. Blair was a consummate campaigner who was obviously in for the long haul and this rendered Hague’s political output largely pointless, despite his many good ideas.