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01 Jun 2010
David Laws has resigned from his post as the second most senior Treasury official in the wake of his expenses scandal.
The former chief secretary to the Treasury held the role for less than a month and has now been replaced by Danny Alexander.
Laws won praise for his start at the Treasury, where he was in charge of impsing proposed swingeing cuts to state spending, but his position was thought to be untenable after revelations that he claimed up to £40,000 of expenses for eight years to rent rooms in two London properties.
The houses were owned by his partner, James Lundie, a political lobbyist. In 2006, MPs were banned from “leasing accommodation from a partner”.
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Visitor comments Add your comment
Where have we misplaced The Fraud Act?
I am a taxpaying citiizen who has been studying the expenses and allowances scandal in the UK Parliament since the Conway case was dragged into the public domain.
Can someone please explain why Sections 2-4 of The Fraud Act 2006 (covering 'Fraud by Misrepresentation', 'Fraud by Abuse of Position' and 'Fraud by Witholding Information') has NOT been used in the UK parliamentary and expenses scandal?
Is it not possible that a Theft Act has been used against the 'minnows' in the parliamentary scandal because the full deployment of the Fraud Act would have ensnared a much greater number of MPs in the last (and the current parliament upto ministerial and shadow ministerial level?
Posted by: John L Bell, 01 Jun 2010 | 00:00
Think before standing down as MP
I still entertain the hope that Mr Laws can somehow be 'rehabilitated' from the back benches, mainly because of my weariness at the endless linking of private homosexuality with public scandal. For any historically marginalised and stigmatised group, such as homosexuals, a higher standard of probity is expected both by society at large, and by other homosexuals, because of the very high stakes involved for us. It is exceedingly difficult to rid society of stereotypes when all the while there are homosexuals out there doing their utmost to perpetuate them.
The way forward for Mr Laws, should he be cleared by Mr Lyon, is to go humbly to the back benches, cease his gloating behaviour, work harder than ever for his constituency, and rejoice every day he henceforth lives that he has the present good fortune to live in this country that allows him to do so.
Posted by: Derek Williams, 01 Jun 2010 | 00:00