What do we want “LAWS”.. When do we want him “NOW”
Lib Dems overwhelming want David Laws back in the mix – big time. A Lib Dem Voice survey of members , released today, suggests that an overwhelming 72% of Lib Dem members in the LDV sample want to see David Laws return to a ministerial post in the Coalition government, with most wanting to see him return to the cabinet.
There are some Lib Dems who think that he is better placed to stay behind the scenes and mastermind the next election strategy. I have some sympathy with that. We do need someone who knows what they are doing, this time around, running that. But what we need, just as importantly right now, is to be able to show we are competent in government.With ideas that work and a positive message for what we can achieve rather than prevent. Getting Ed Davey (who has been phenomenal in Business) into the Climate job and Norman Lamb (who has spent too much time behind the scenes) to take up Ed’s post are both excellent moves. But if there was the chance of adding David Laws to the line up who wouldn’t think that was a pretty impressive team to field in the all-important run up to the next general election.
If David Cameron is serious about this partnership – and if Nick Clegg really does have the balls to do what’s necessary – then it surely can’t be long before David Laws is off the subs bench and back in the game?
UPDATE – Sunday Telegraph reporting that Laws may be in for a big job… GET IN.
February 4th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
Whatever the merits of that (and I think your right FWIW) it wasn’t the time to do that in the wake of the Huhne resignation.
February 5th, 2012 at 5:04 am
Politicians and civil servants who have broken the law should ABSOLUTELY NOT BE ALLOWED BACK IN THE GOVERNMENT.
If I were accused of stealing from my employer, do you really think I would get my job back?
No wonder this country is in such a mess, the people in charge are a bunch of thieves.
February 5th, 2012 at 11:11 am
What David Laws did was fail to declare his relationship with his partner in order to conceal his homosexuality. That was poor judgement but is understandable and it is clear that “his employer” accepts that his deception was not for financial gain but about protecting his own privacy.
The committee investigating David indeed stated “We consider the rental agreements submitted between 2003 and 2008 were misleading and designed to conceal the nature of the relationship”. And the committee also accepted that David could have made higher claims had he been open about his living arrangements, and used expenses to run his Somerset home.
Some MP’s were prosecuted over expenses. David Laws was not. David did make a mistake. He stepped down from his ministerial postion, admitted his mistake, returned all monies he wrongly claimed and made a full apology. It is time we moved on from a hysterical banker-bashing / MP-bashing culture of envy. We should accept that occassionally people make mistakes.
As for an employer offering a job back to people who have made similar mistakes… Yes I know two companies that did just that. So it’s not just public servants that have employers with hearts that consider all the facts of the case when making judgements of this nature.
February 5th, 2012 at 11:53 am
I’m not bashing anyone in particular and you can hardly call £40,000 over a period of 5 years a “mistake”. Talk about gullible. He got caught!
Are we so short of talented people that we have to continually regurgitate politicians with no backbone back on the gravy train?
February 5th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Sue
In what way “no back bone” – I can’t see how that description applies?
February 5th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Look, if he were that paranoid about being found out, he certainly wouldn’t have claimed £950 per month FOR A ROOM! He obviously didn’t even bother to see what a reasonable rate for a room at the time would have been.
http://tgr.ph/yySo9Y
“By 2008, Mr Laws was paying Mr Lundie £950 a month in rent, although rooms in Kennington were available for half that amount on websites this week. In total, he handed Mr Lundie more than £40,000 in rent, claimed back from the taxpayer”
Even now, with the Olympic Games, rentals are rising and you can still get a whole studio flat for less than that.
Here : http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-17598162.html
Backbone as in coming clean, being honest and honourable.
Weak, greedy and dishonourable that’s what I mean.
February 5th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
I have a lot of time and personal respect for David and believe that he is one of our most intelligent and thoughtful leaders as well as being a very pleasant guy to work with.
However I do wonder what this comment is based on:
“There are some Lib Dems who think that he is better placed to stay behind the scenes and mastermind the next election strategy. I have some sympathy with that. We do need someone who knows what they are doing, this time around, running that.”
As far as I am aware, David has no particular experience or expertise as an election strategist, and doesn’t claim any.
February 6th, 2012 at 12:26 am
Liberal Neil -obviously it is based on what people have said to me – some from within the party machine.
February 6th, 2012 at 9:24 am
Angela & Neil – this says an awful lot about the party machine then.
February 6th, 2012 at 10:14 am
Hywel – I think that you may have a point.
February 6th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
I’m glad to see that this is the case. I feel that David Laws got stuck between a generation that couldn’t stand Homosexuality and a generation that sees shame in hiding it. But he broke the rules and it was right that he left.
However, because of the unique circumstances of the case I don’t believe it was his intention to make himself rich at the expense of the taxpayer. I hope that he does make a comeback at some point but now maybe too early.