Danny Alexander, the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury, appears to be in the clear over claims that he avoided paying Capital Gains Tax.
His new job is safe as he did not break any rules over the designation of his main home.
However, questions have been raised about David Cameron's decision to replace David Laws with Mr Alexander at the Treasury.
Unlike his predecessor, Mr Alexander does not have an economic or banking background.
More importantly, it is being suggested that the Prime Minister was obliged to appoint another Lib Dem MP as Mr Laws' successor, no matter how inexperienced. The objective of this was to keep the same balance of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the Cabinet and thus avoiding any upset to the equilibrium of the Coalition.
Monday, 31 May 2010
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Alexander Succeeds Laws As Treasury Chief Secretary
Douglas Alexander has taken over from David Laws as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The departure of Mr Laws from from the Cabinet will be sorely felt across Government. His City background made him an ideal candidate for the job of reducing the country's huge budget deficit.
Mr Alexander will be up against a very steep learning curve to ensure he is ready to fill Mr Laws' shoes this week.
The departure of Mr Laws from from the Cabinet will be sorely felt across Government. His City background made him an ideal candidate for the job of reducing the country's huge budget deficit.
Mr Alexander will be up against a very steep learning curve to ensure he is ready to fill Mr Laws' shoes this week.
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Laws Resigns As Chief Secretary To The Treasury
The political world really moves fast!
No sooner as I posted my last blog entry on David Laws' woes, it is reported that he has now resigned.
An end to what has to be one of the shortest ministerial careers in history.
Given the media frenzy that has been generated over this story, there was no way he would have survived.
On a personal level, I feel sorry for Mr Laws; it really is a very swift fall from grace.
However, in stepping aside, and putting the interests of the government and the country before his own career, most will agree that he has behaved with dignity and done the honourable thing.
No sooner as I posted my last blog entry on David Laws' woes, it is reported that he has now resigned.
An end to what has to be one of the shortest ministerial careers in history.
Given the media frenzy that has been generated over this story, there was no way he would have survived.
On a personal level, I feel sorry for Mr Laws; it really is a very swift fall from grace.
However, in stepping aside, and putting the interests of the government and the country before his own career, most will agree that he has behaved with dignity and done the honourable thing.
Will David Laws Be First Casualty Of New Coalition?
The Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws, could quite possibly be the new government's first casualty.
The MP, who only last week, was in the spotlight spelling out to the nation huge proposed cuts in public spending, has found himself embroiled in a row about his expenses and a nine-year homosexual relationship that he had desperately tried to keep out of the public eye.
One has to have a certain amount of sympathy for Mr Laws, who is very popular amongst his constituents and is, by all accounts, an excellent Member of Parliament. This is coupled with the fact that he has only been in his job for a couple of weeks and for the first time in many years, the Liberal Party are now in government.
But can Mr Laws survive?
I'd say the odds are very much stacked against him. Given the fact that MPs' expenses were under such scrutiny in the last Parliament, many people are now asking why he, Mr Laws, did not come clean and declare tens of thousands of pounds in expenses at a time when many of his fellow MPs did.
Things really do look bad for the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The timing of this episode could not be worse. We are in a new political era, defined by a different kind of politics. David Cameron was at great pains to state that the new Coalition was a fresh start for Britain, after thirteen years of Labour misrule.
Despite there now being a new government, many people will reach the conclusion that nothing has changed.
The MP, who only last week, was in the spotlight spelling out to the nation huge proposed cuts in public spending, has found himself embroiled in a row about his expenses and a nine-year homosexual relationship that he had desperately tried to keep out of the public eye.
One has to have a certain amount of sympathy for Mr Laws, who is very popular amongst his constituents and is, by all accounts, an excellent Member of Parliament. This is coupled with the fact that he has only been in his job for a couple of weeks and for the first time in many years, the Liberal Party are now in government.
But can Mr Laws survive?
I'd say the odds are very much stacked against him. Given the fact that MPs' expenses were under such scrutiny in the last Parliament, many people are now asking why he, Mr Laws, did not come clean and declare tens of thousands of pounds in expenses at a time when many of his fellow MPs did.
Things really do look bad for the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The timing of this episode could not be worse. We are in a new political era, defined by a different kind of politics. David Cameron was at great pains to state that the new Coalition was a fresh start for Britain, after thirteen years of Labour misrule.
Despite there now being a new government, many people will reach the conclusion that nothing has changed.
Friday, 28 May 2010
Prezza Gets A Peerage
Congratulations to John Prescott on being awarded a Peerage in the Dissolution Honours List.
Recognition for his very long years of service to the Labour Party and this country.
I am happy too, that John Reid is now in the Lords, having held so many Cabinet posts.
Recognition for his very long years of service to the Labour Party and this country.
I am happy too, that John Reid is now in the Lords, having held so many Cabinet posts.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Labour Needs A Leader Who Can Communicate Like Tony Blair
http://labourlist.org/labours-new-leader-must-have-the-right-values---but-must-also-be?utm_source=taomail&utm_m
This article illustrates the point I made in an earlier post.
There is no doubt that Gordon Brown had the right values to take the Party and the country forward, but Labour lost power because of a failure at the top to communicate effectively with the British people.
We need to find someone who has these values but can also deliver Labour's message to the electorate in the way Tony Blair did in 1997.
This article illustrates the point I made in an earlier post.
There is no doubt that Gordon Brown had the right values to take the Party and the country forward, but Labour lost power because of a failure at the top to communicate effectively with the British people.
We need to find someone who has these values but can also deliver Labour's message to the electorate in the way Tony Blair did in 1997.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Should Harriet Harman Stay On As Labour's Deputy Leader?
All the signs are that Harriet Harman will remain Deputy Leader of the Labour Party after this Autumn's election to succeed Gordon Brown.
Is this right? I don't agree.
Ms Harman may have many years of parliamentary experience on her side, both in opposition and government. I personally, have always been very impressed with her performances at the Despatch Box, standing in at PMQs, and most recently, in the Queen's Speech debate.
However, there is no running away from the fact that she was part a leadership ticket, along with Mr Brown, that failed to secure a fourth successive election victory for Labour.
If Labour are to win back power at the next election, then they need to present a new team and fresh image to the electorate. We need a Deputy Leader who will more effectively deliver Labour's message to the British people.
This means that those who have had their time in Government must step aside and allow others the chance to take the party forward.
Is this right? I don't agree.
Ms Harman may have many years of parliamentary experience on her side, both in opposition and government. I personally, have always been very impressed with her performances at the Despatch Box, standing in at PMQs, and most recently, in the Queen's Speech debate.
However, there is no running away from the fact that she was part a leadership ticket, along with Mr Brown, that failed to secure a fourth successive election victory for Labour.
If Labour are to win back power at the next election, then they need to present a new team and fresh image to the electorate. We need a Deputy Leader who will more effectively deliver Labour's message to the British people.
This means that those who have had their time in Government must step aside and allow others the chance to take the party forward.
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