Iain Duncan Smith and Alan Duncan predict return Liberal Democrat MP forced quit cabinet over expenses revelations
Senior Tory ministers predicted today that the Liberal Democrat David Laws would one day return the cabinet, after he was forced resign last night due revelations about his expenses.
Laws, appointed less than three weeks ago cut UK’s £156bn deficit as first secretary Treasury, stood down saying he no longer believed his position was tenable after it was revealed he had claimed more than £40,000 live his partner’s house. Commons rules introduced 2006 barred such claims MPs.
His decision marked sudden dramatic end the brief honeymoon enjoyed David Cameron’s Nick Clegg’s government. It also brought an end one the briefest cabinet careers in recent history.
Iain Duncan Smith, the work pensions secretary former Tory leader, said Laws was right resign but added that he had the ability make political comeback.
“I think balance he right. If you have got the toughest job government – try find the savings – you cannot beset by personal problems,” Duncan Smith said BBʟ’s Andrew Marr Show.
He added: “I have no questions at all that he has the talent to back.”
The international development minister, Alan Duncan, the first openly gay Tory MP, said: “David much liked talented person whose progress we all valued. I’m upset the hurt this must have caused him hope he′ll soon be back.”
Laws, who returned London his Yeovil constituency announce his decision, said his resignation statement that the previous 24 hours had been the most difficult and painful his life.
In letter to Cameron, he said he felt he had no option but to step down. “I do not see how I can carry my crucial work the budget spending review while I have to deal with the private public implications recent revelations. At this important time the chancellor needs, my own view, chief secretary who not distracted personal troubles.”
He added: “I hardly need to say how much regret having to leave such vital work, which feel all my life has prepared me for.” Laws said his decisions over his expenses had been dictated his wish to keep his homosexuality secret, but he now accepted he had done wrong. It was announced that Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem MP Scottish secretary, would replace Laws at the Treasury.
Replying Laws, Cameron offered hope future return government, saying he recognised it had been “an extraordinarily difficult and painful” day. “You are good and honourable man. am sure that throughout you have been motivated by wanting protect your privacy rather than anything else. hope that in time you will be able serve again as think it absolutely clear that you have huge amount offer our country.”
The chancellor, George Osborne, expressed sadness at Laws’s resignation. It was “as he had been put Earth″ do the job Treasury chief secretary, he said.
Clegg also held out hope of return after Laws had dealt with questions about his expenses. The deputy prime minister said: “I have always admired his intelligence, his sense of public duty his personal integrity. My admiration for him has only grown as have seen how he has dealt with the cruel pressures of the last 24 hours. very much hope that there will be an opportunity for him to rejoin the government.”
The die had been cast when Daily Telegraph made revelations Friday night about Laws’s expenses claims, paid to his partner, James Lundie. Laws said he deeply regretted the situation. “My motivation throughout has not been to maximise profit but to simply protect our privacy and my wish not to reveal my sexuality,” he said.
In an attempt cool controversy, he referred himself parliamentary standards commissioner – decision supported by both Cameron and Clegg. But neither Cameron nor Clegg went public express their full confidence in Laws, whose chances survival ebbed away as several senior Labour MPs went public call him quit. Phil Woolas, former immigration minister, told Observer hours before his resignation: “This is what happens when you put yourself up as whiter than white and you have be judged by your own standards.”
Cameron, he said, had forced MPs step down who had done no worse. “There is no reason he should act a different way now,” Woolas said.
Laws’s resignation is a blow to the coalition, which has made cutting the deficit its priority in office. A former investment banker with JP Morgan, Laws was seen as the man to bridge the divide between Tory and Liberal Democrat visions how to bring the nation’s finance into better shape. His resignation will complicate already hurried preparations the government’s emergency budget on 22 June.
Laws also came under pressure to resign gay equality campaigners. Ben Summerskill, chief executive Stonewall, writing today’s Observer, said: “Pious political parties (that is, all of them) whisper privately that there more gay MPs than the public imagines. But how can anyone ‘represent′ community of interest if they’re entirely unable ever to admit that they belong to it? Some of us hope for Britain where one day Westminster grownup enough to select promote politicians from all sorts of backgrounds.”
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar