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BBC News - 29/05/10

David Laws has faced a call to "stand aside" from his post as Chief Treasury Secretary after he admitted claiming expenses to pay rent to his partner.

Former Commissioner for Standards in Public Life Sir Alistair Graham said Mr Laws should remove himself while an investigation is carried out.

Mr Laws has apologised and said he will pay back the money which the Daily Telegraph said totalled £40,000.

The Lib Dem MP said he wanted to keep his relationship with the man private.

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Nice to see the coalition getting off to such a great start.

Corruption at a ministerial level exposed within the first few weeks of a new government. Is this a record?

I have to say that I'm disappointed in the Tories. Fancy leaving the first hint of sexual/monetary shenanigans to a Lib Dem.

I think you can just put that down to the tories' having more experience of sleaze (and hence how to cover it up).

I think it had more to do with Laws trying to hide his sexuality than corruption or financial gain.

Gone. But for how long?

D'you think he'll "Do a Mandy"?

foodimista wrote:I think it had more to do with Laws trying to hide his sexuality than corruption or financial gain.

Paddy Ashdown reportedly stated that his (Laws) integrity was not in question.

Yeh, right Paddy.

I wonder how many other revelations the Telegraph has in store?

Well, well, well. Looks like the expenses scandal runs on...

BBC News - 29/05/10

Liberal Democrat David Laws has resigned as Chief Secretary to the Treasury after admitting he claimed expenses to pay rent to his partner.

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Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he had always admired Mr Laws' integrity and he hoped he would one day be able to return to government.

He said Mr Laws' privacy had now been "cruelly shattered".

Mr Cameron wrote: "The last 24 hours must have been extraordinarily difficult and painful for you.

"You are a good and honourable man. I am sure that, throughout, you have been motivated by wanting to protect your privacy rather than anything else.

Man of integrity? Good and honorable? What does that say about their judgment or lack thereof?

If this was a girl friend would he be able to claim public money to keep her ? and isn't hiding your sexuality bound to be something that will come out or be a thing you might be blackmailed over .
foolish fellow and I think its corruption to use public money in this way

It's just the Telegraph having a go at the hated Coalition. They'll be rummaging through any closet that they find open: and a few that aren't.

kenneal wrote:It's just the Telegraph having a go at the hated Coalition. They'll be rummaging through any closet that they find open: and a few that aren't.

Yes of course. Silly me. Nothing to do with the fact that Laws was not the 'good and honorable' citizen he claimed to be.

David Laws is now paying the price for his total lack of integrity and I now look forward to any further cross party revelations that the Telegraph may have to offer.

After all, why should the public have to tolerate any financial shenanigans in Westminster at a time when we are all being asked to make sacrifices?

Laws had also laid himself open to blackmail, a fact that seems to have escaped most of the political commentators.

kenneal wrote:It's just the Telegraph having a go at the hated Coalition. They'll be rummaging through any closet that they find open: and a few that aren't.

Expect every newspaper - the Labour Mirror, the holier-than-thou Guardian and Independent, and the rest with their ultra-Tory, anti-Europe agenda - to be rummaging around for any dirt on the coalition government. Patriotic lot that they are at this time of economic crisis.

foodimista wrote:

kenneal wrote:It's just the Telegraph having a go at the hated Coalition. They'll be rummaging through any closet that they find open: and a few that aren't.

Expect every newspaper - the Labour Mirror, the holier-than-thou Guardian and Independent, and the rest with their ultra-Tory, anti-Europe agenda - to be rummaging around for any dirt on the coalition government. Patriotic lot that they are at this time of economic crisis.

Oh I see, so it's now considered to be unpatriotic to expose these charlatans who choose to rob the treasury while professing to be whiter than white?

I seem to remember that you were quite keen to expose the misdemeanors of the Labour party when they held power.

Well he resigned, which makes a change from Labour and the likes of Straw who claimed full Council Tax when only paying half.

Remind me. Who was the last Labour minister to resign when found out?

When are you going to realise that ALL of the MP's, regardless of their political persuasion, are in politics for their personal gain?

I usually have absolutely no time for the press in the UK but on this issue, I'm prepared to make an exception.

It's time that these thieves were exposed.

They apologise for their actions and offer to return the money.

They should be prosecuted and automatically removed from office.