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UK PoliGAF thread of tell me about the rabbits again, Dave.

E

Empty

Member
David Laws' Resignation Letter said:
Dear Prime Minister,

The last 24 hours have been very difficult and distressing for me, and I have been thinking carefully about what action I should take in the interests of the Government, my constituents and - most important of all - those whom I love. I am grateful for the strong support which I have received from my friends, family, and from you, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor. This support has been incredibly important, but nonetheless, I have decided that it is right to tender my resignation as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. I have done so for three reasons.

Firstly, I do not see how I can carry on my crucial work on the Budget and Spending Review while I have to deal with the private and public implications of recent revelations.

At this important time the Chancellor needs, in my own view, a Chief Secretary who is not distracted by personal troubles. I hardly need say how much I regret having to leave such vital work, which I feel all my life has prepared me for.

Secondly, while my recent problems were caused by my desire to keep my sexuality secret, the public is entitled to expect politicians to act with a sense of responsibility. I cannot now escape the conclusion that what I have done was in some way wrong, even though I did not gain any financial benefit from keeping my relationship secret in this way.

Finally, and most importantly, I have an overriding responsibility to those I love most, and who I feel I have exposed to scrutiny in this way. I have pursued a political career because of my sense of public duty, but I have too often put this before the interests of those I love most. It is time to redress the balance. I want to apologise to my constituents for falling below the standards that they are entitled to expect from me. The job of being a constituency MP is no less important to me than my Cabinet responsibilities. I shall ensure that I co-operate fully with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner in the review that I have requested. I intend to consider carefully over the period ahead how I can best serve the interests of my Yeovil constituency, which I care so passionately about.

It has been a great honour to serve however briefly in your Government and I will remain its strong supporter.

Yours sincerely,

David Laws
Click to expand...

Classy resignation. Real unfortunate situation here, and i have more sympathy for him the more i read, even if i still think he regrettably had to step down. Fuck the Torygraph for basically outing him and forcing out one of the best members of the government. Is making people outraged and slowing down the coalition really more important than Laws' sensitive private life (it seems to me that his catholic parents probably motivated him to keep his sexuality secret) given the low level of his misconduct and the quality of his public service; i don't think so. I know it's dangerous to suggest what the press can and can't reveal on things like this, but i'm not sure how this is in the public interest at all, and it seems like self serving bullshit from them.
 
phisheep

phisheep

NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
Empty said:
Classy resignation. Real unfortunate situation here, and i have a lot more symapathy for him the more i read, even if i still think he regrettably had to step down. Fuck the Torygraph for basically outing him and forcing out one of the best members of the government. Is making people outraged and slowing down the coalition really more important than Laws' sensitive private life (it seems to me that his cathlic parents probably motivated him to keep his sexuality secret) given the low level of his misconduct; i don't think so. I know it's dangerous to suggest what the press can and can't reveal on things like tbis, but i'm not sure how this is in the public interest, it seems like self serving bullshit from them.
Click to expand...

I'm in two minds over this. I like and respect Laws and think he is a huge loss to the government - made a magnificent start not just as Chief Secretary but also in negotiating the coalition. Hope he comes back when this is all over.

But, he shouldn't have done what he did. This stuff about his priority being privacy and him not profiting personally does not wash. He could have not claimed anything at all. The weasel words about not considering his relationship a 'partnership' sound evasive and nitpicking - and probably hurtful to his partner as well. As to profit - well, he remortgaged his own house to provide money to his partner to buy one in London (in any court that'll give him an interest in the new house), then claimed public money to pay rent to the partner, some of which would have gone to repaying the mortgage or loan on the property, so there is at least an indirect benefit to him that he would not have had were it not for the public money. If he'd said instead that the public didn't lose out by it then he would have been on solider ground.

It was particularly galling to hear Paddy Ashdown being sanctimonious on the radio - saying that the wording of the rules was obscure (sorry, 'opaque') and that the only person who could settle it was the Parliamentary Commissioner. If that was the case, then the honest thing to do would to be to check with the Commissioner, or a lawyer or accountant, BEFORE claiming the cash, not after you are found out. Isn't it amazing that all the people who 'honestly interpreted' the rules did so in their own favour, eh?

As for the Telegraph, I too found their front page splash offensive - but honestly it is no worse than has been done to many MPs during the expenses scandal (for example, that 'duck house' may have been claimed, but the claim was never paid - and yet it sticks in the mind). A more balanced report would have pointed out that this seems to have been misclaimed only since 2006 when the rules were changed to prevent payments to spouses and partners. The outcome would probably have been the same though.

It's an object lesson in Parliamentary proprietry - again. If Laws had stayed, the press would have dug deeper. He's done the right thing by resigning, just as he did the wrong thing earlier in the day by trying to justify it. Good luck to the guy, and I hope to see him back in government within 12 months - any sooner and it would look like a Mandelson job.

This is one of those areas where the press needs to be active, because the Opposition doesn't exactly have the moral high ground.

Out of everything we know so far though, what I find most concerning is that his partner works for a lobbying firm.
 
Z

Zenith

Banned
We may not like it when it's one of "our" guys but Laws was stupid. MPs have been banned from renting accomodation from partners from even before the expenses scandal. Wanting to keep your sexuality on the down-low does not trump that, not even close.
 
Jex

Jex

Member
Indeed, it's a loss to the government that he has left. But he shouldn't have done what he did. Or at least he should have covered it up better.
 
T

trinest

Member
Kind of off topic, but the publication which the thread title quotes- what happend to the crazy guy who kept fixating on the rabbits? Did he get shot by Dave? I can't remember. We read the book in yr9 or something and I can't keep fixating on that each time I read the thread title.
 
S

Subliminal

Member
trinest said:
Kind of off topic, but the publication which the thread title quotes- what happend to the crazy guy who kept fixating on the rabbits? Did he get shot by Dave? I can't remember. We read the book in yr9 or something and I can't keep fixating on that each time I read the thread title.
Click to expand...

Lenny is shot at the end by George
 
R

RedShift

Member
trinest said:
Kind of off topic, but the publication which the thread title quotes- what happend to the crazy guy who kept fixating on the rabbits? Did he get shot by Dave? I can't remember. We read the book in yr9 or something and I can't keep fixating on that each time I read the thread title.
Click to expand...
I would explain but I'm too busy crying at the thought of it.
 
W

Walshicus

Member
trinest said:
Kind of off topic, but the publication which the thread title quotes- what happend to the crazy guy who kept fixating on the rabbits? Did he get shot by Dave? I can't remember. We read the book in yr9 or something and I can't keep fixating on that each time I read the thread title.
Click to expand...
Yeah, we read it in year 9 too [bloody hell, must have been 12 years ago now?]. Got a laugh when our teacher explained why whats-her-name's husband kept one hand in a glove full of vaseline.
 
C

cntr

Banned
here we go then

UK animators call for tax breaks
from The Guardian by Ed Vaizey, Richard Wray
Wallace and Gromit creator and others form campaign group to press coalition government for help for animation industry

Wallace and Gromit, Bob the Builder and Pingu are going in to battle as leading lights of Britain's animation industry prepare to campaign for government support for UK-based talent.​

Spain’s credit rating problem could be ours next
from Liberal Conspiracy by Adam Lent
The credit rating agency Fitch yesterday cut Spain’s credit rating from AAA to AA. Have they done this because they think Spain is not getting to grips with its public finances? No. They’ve cut the rating because the Spanish Government’s efforts to reduce their budget deficit through cuts.​

Laws could be back - Duncan Smith
from BBC News
David Laws was right to quit over his expenses but has the talent to return to government, Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith says.​

Right-wingers target the Telegraph over Laws
from Liberal Conspiracy by Sunny Hundal
Who is to blame for David Laws having to resign over his expenses? According to many right-wing blogs there’s only one enemy: The Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper published the story on Friday night and once David Laws resigned on Saturday evening, the bitter recriminations followed.​

Election date risks Scottish and Welsh confusion, warns adviser
from The Guardian by Severin Carrell
UN adviser says fixing UK's 2015 poll for same day as elections to devolved assembles could damage democratic process

An international elections adviser has warned it would be "a mess" to hold the next UK election on 7 May 2015, because it could cause widespread confusion for voters by clashing with separate elections for the Welsh assembly and Scottish parliament on the same day.​
 
M

Mr. Sam

Member
cntrational said:
here we go then

UK animators call for tax breaks
from The Guardian by Ed Vaizey, Richard Wray
Wallace and Gromit creator and others form campaign group to press coalition government for help for animation industry

Wallace and Gromit, Bob the Builder and Pingu are going in to battle as leading lights of Britain's animation industry prepare to campaign for government support for UK-based talent.​
Click to expand...

Pretty indifferent to this, though I have a friend that'll soon be trying to make a living in the UK animation industry so I guess I'm in favour.

Spain’s credit rating problem could be ours next
from Liberal Conspiracy by Adam Lent
The credit rating agency Fitch yesterday cut Spain’s credit rating from AAA to AA. Have they done this because they think Spain is not getting to grips with its public finances? No. They’ve cut the rating because the Spanish Government’s efforts to reduce their budget deficit through cuts.​
Click to expand...

We've been warned.

Laws could be back - Duncan Smith
from BBC News
David Laws was right to quit over his expenses but has the talent to return to government, Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith says.​
Click to expand...

Everybody's language has seemed to indicate there might be a quiet Laws comeback at some point. Shit, they brought Mandelson back, didn't they? Well, not this government - but you get the point.

Right-wingers target the Telegraph over Laws
from Liberal Conspiracy by Sunny Hundal
Who is to blame for David Laws having to resign over his expenses? According to many right-wing blogs there’s only one enemy: The Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper published the story on Friday night and once David Laws resigned on Saturday evening, the bitter recriminations followed.​
Click to expand...

It's like watching baby chicks turning to attack their mother. Dance, puppets! Dance!

Election date risks Scottish and Welsh confusion, warns adviser
from The Guardian by Severin Carrell
UN adviser says fixing UK's 2015 poll for same day as elections to devolved assembles could damage democratic process

An international elections adviser has warned it would be "a mess" to hold the next UK election on 7 May 2015, because it could cause widespread confusion for voters by clashing with separate elections for the Welsh assembly and Scottish parliament on the same day.​
Click to expand...

OHMYGOD I'M SO CONFUSED WHO AM I MEANT TO VOTE FOR LOL!?
 
C

cntr

Banned
David Miliband calls for leadership TV debate
from Liberal Conspiracy by Sunny Hundal
David Miliband has written to the five other Labour leadership contenders asking them to join him in a TV debate on the Labour leadership.​

Cameron reveals civil servants who earn more than him
from The Independent
More than 170 top civil servants receive bigger salaries than the Prime Minister, figures released today by the Cabinet Office disclosed.​

Labour targets to build on green belt to be scrapped
from The Independent
House-building targets set by central government are to be ended to protect the green belt around towns in England. There had been plans to build on green-belt land in 30 towns, as councils tried to meet regional targets.​

'Drug recovery' charity launched
from BBC News
A national charity aimed at helping addicts to come off drugs is launched, funded by the Scottish government.​

Livingstone launches mayoral bid
from BBC News
Ken Livingstone is to launch his campaign to be Labour's 2012 London mayoral candidate.​

Open Secrets
from BBC News
Opening up data: Plenty for the new PM to tackle​

Police numbers hit 'record high'
from BBC News
Police officer numbers in Scotland reach a record high after more than 300 officers were hired in the past year, according to official figures.​
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
E

Empty

Member
Ushojax said:
The Telegraph are showing what their real intentions are now. This is a complete non-story as capital gains was never payable. It's only avoidance if you were supposed to pay. They're just trying to smear as many Lib Dems as possible and get them replaced by Tories.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I rather feel that they overplayed their hand here too, and risk damaging their credibility going forwards. If they had waited a few weeks they might have been able to make it look like they only just discovered that information, like with the Laws revelations, but here their motives become very transparent indeed. It has nothing to do with the public interest, nothing to do with journalism, if it had they would have released this story back with the other expenses files last year; no, it has everything to do with a calculated and vindictive attempt to try and bring down a coalition government that happens to be introducing policies that they disagree with, in the CGT rise, through shameless tabloid-esque behaviour.
 
C

cntr

Banned
post more, guys

Empty
Member
9Gcws.gif

(Yesterday, 05:53 PM)
Reply | Quote

What's with all the posters who have flags in their tags?
 
D

Dr Zhivago

Member
To be honest, I've always considered Richard Littlejohn to be a massive Littlejohn unless furnished with concrete proof to the contrary.

Edit: :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
 
V

Varion

Member
Just a reminder that it's the first PMQs today, 3PM. Harperson gets six questions now because of there being no Lib Dem opposition.
 
B

Bento

Member
cntrational said:
UK animators call for tax breaks
from The Guardian by Ed Vaizey, Richard Wray
Wallace and Gromit creator and others form campaign group to press coalition government for help for animation industry

Wallace and Gromit, Bob the Builder and Pingu are going in to battle as leading lights of Britain's animation industry prepare to campaign for government support for UK-based talent.​
Click to expand...
Did the Tories/Libs go to election on a tax cutting platform? Would seem a bit irresponsible judging by the deficit that Britain has been racking up the past few years.
 
C

cntr

Banned
Cameron spells out Clegg's powers
from BBC News
David Cameron sets out Nick Clegg's precise areas of responsibility as deputy prime minister.​

Cable due to detail business aims
from BBC News
Vince Cable will give more details of the government's plans to help UK firms grow when he makes his first major speech on Thursday.​

Plan to protect anonymity of rape accused watered down
from The Independent
A surprise plan to grant anonymity to rape defendants will be significantly redrawn by the coalition Government after intense criticism of the proposals.​

Call to publish NHS 'cuts' plans
from BBC News
The Scottish government is facing demands to publish full details of NHS job cuts, amid claims patient safety is being undermined.​

New team to take over 'failing' council
from The Independent
A new chief executive and a team of commissioners are to be put in charge of Doncaster Council, it was announced yesterday.​

Former minister: I misled MPs over hooding of prisoners in Iraq
from The Independent
A former Labour defence minister was forced to admit yesterday that he misled MPs when he denied that British soldiers had hooded Iraqi detainees during interrogations.​

Poll: voters not sure what Libdems stand for
from Liberal Conspiracy
Voters have delivered an ominous warning to the Liberal Democrats, with nearly two-thirds saying they are not clear what the party stands for since it went into coalition with the Conservatives.​

Simon Hughes set to become deputy leader of Lib Dems
from The Independent
Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat left-winger, was on course last night to become the party's deputy leader.​
 
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