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William Hague's special adviser Christopher Myers has resigned, citing "untrue and malicious" allegations made about his relationship with the foreign secretary.
In an extraordinarily personal statement issued this afternoon the foreign secretary denied rumours that he was gay or that he had anything but a professional relationship with his now ex-aide.
"Any suggestion that his appointment was due to an improper relationship between us is utterly false, as is any suggestion that I have ever been involved in a relationship with any man," he said.
Hague said that Myers had told him he wished to leave his role as a special adviser in the Foreign Office "as a result of the pressure on his family from the untrue and malicious allegations made about him".
He insisted Myers had been "easily qualified" for the job he had recently been appointed to and said it was "a pity that a talented individual should feel that he needs to leave his job in this way".
Denying that his marriage was in trouble Hague revealed that he and his wife Ffion had suffered multiple miscarriages but that despite the trauma of the experience it had brought them closer together.
"I have made no secret of the fact that Ffion and I would love to start a family. For many years this has been our goal," he said.
"Sadly this has proved more difficult for us than for most couples.
"We have encountered many difficulties and suffered multiple miscarriages, and indeed are still grieving for the loss of a pregnancy this summer.
"We are aware that the stress of infertility can often strain a marriage, but in our case, thankfully, it has only brought us closer together.
The speculation grew after political blogger Guido Fawkes alleged Hague and Myers shared a hotel room during the election campaign, which he said called into question the nature of their relationship.
But Hague said the allegations were "entirely untrue" and "deeply distressing" to him, his wife and Myers.
He said: "This speculation seems to stem from the fact that whilst campaigning before the election we occasionally shared twin hotel rooms.
"Neither of us would have done so if we had thought that it in any way meant or implied something else.
"In hindsight I should have given greater consideration to what might have been made of that, but this is in itself no justification for allegations of this kind."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd