Anywhere else a thief would not be welcome back in the workplace, save only in the government of the UK. Yes I know the public services can sometimes string along an enquiry past the age of retirement in a few cases, but the fact remains that those caught with their hands in the till can usually not expect to prosper.
Unless of course you’re an MP…
Two years after he stood down as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a post he held for just 17 days, Mr Laws has become Education Minister with a roving brief to advise on Coalition policy across Government.
He resigned after the Daily Telegraph disclosed that he broke expenses rules by claiming tens of thousands of pounds for rent he paid to his partner, James Lundie.
Respected by Conservative MPs and a close ally of Mr Clegg, Mr Laws’ departure was a blow to the Coalition.
He claimed that he had failed to be transparent about his living arrangements in order to conceal his homosexuality.
During his two years out of office, Mr Laws remained close to the Coalition’s leadership, and has been rewarded with the post of Minister for Children and Families and a “roving brief” to help shape policy in the run up to the general election.
Personally I (and most others I suspect) do not give a damn about Laws sexuality, what we do care about is the fact that he robbed us in an effort (so he says) to conceal his private life. Had he simply kept his hands out of the cookie jar it would have been fine, but he couldn’t. Anywhere else he’d have been sacked and prosecuted (again caveats galore in the public sector) but within government you just get shuffled to the side and a couple of years later it’s as if nothing had ever happened.
Until MP’s of all parties start to play by the same rules as the rest of us then they will never have the respect such a position ought to engender. Until then they are simply thieves and supporters of thieves.
“Until MP’s of all parties start to play by the same rules as the rest of us then they will never have the respect such a position ought to engender. Until then they are simply thieves and supporters of thieves.” Says it all, really.
Don’t give a monkeys about his homosexuality – but it does seem rather bizarre that, given the fact he’s gay, he is appointed a junior education minister with responsibility for children and families…
And I do care about the expenses fiddling…big time.
“We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.” Aesop