Hain resignation was inevitable say Tories
“What is important now is for Gordon Brown to take rapid action to restore effective leadership to a department that has clearly been distracted by the events of the last few weeks.”The Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman, Danny Alexander, said it was a return to “sleaze” in government.”The transition from Blair to Brown feels increasingly like the transition from Thatcher to Major,” he said. “We have had the return of government incompetence, economic turmoil and political sleaze.”We all remember John Major clinging on to ministerial colleagues, only to lose them in the end, and now Gordon Brown is doing the same.”His colleagues are being caught out by allegations of self-interest and complacency. The difference is that it took Major almost two years to lose his first cabinet colleague. Gordon Brown has lost Peter Hain after just six months.”Downing Street did not comment further on the resignation, but senior colleagues paid glowing tribute to Hain.The Commons leader, Harriet Harman - herself under fire over contributions to her successful deputy leadership campaign - told the Commons: “I regard the work he has been doing on improving the income in retirement of pensioners and ensuring more people come off benefits and get into work has been important for people in this country. And I personally regard him as an excellent colleague and good friend.”Harman had to return a %26#163;5,000 proxy donation and apologise after she failed to register a %26#163;40,000 home loan she used for funding.Others involved with Hain’s work on pensions heaped praise on his accomplishments in office.Michael Leahy, the general secretary of the Community union, said: “His work with Community to bring an end to the misery affecting the 130,000 people who lost their expected occupational pension due to employer insolvency is a legacy of which he can be proud.”Today’s news shows that there is an urgent requirement to limit expenditure in all political elections.”The health secretary, Alan Johnson, also a challenger for the Labour party deputy leadership last summer, said he was “absolutely” shocked.He said Hain had been an “excellent” secretary of state and described his resignation as a “big loss” for the government.”I can understand why he’s done this, now it’s been referred to the police,” he told BBC2.”I think it shows great credit on Peter that he believes that now it’s got to that stage he feels he can’t carry on in a cabinet position. But I’m really sad, because it’s a big loss for us.”Clive Phillips, president of the Labour party in Hain’s constituency of Neath, said the resignation had come as a “shock“.”I am very saddened. I think he has been hounded out. He came clean as soon as he found out about the undeclared donations.”Phillips said he had advised Hain to “stick it out” and there had been no hint he was about to resign.”I saw him on Saturday night and he was so upbeat and enjoying himself. I had not seen him like that for days, and I thought he was back to his old self.”It has come as a real shock.”Elfyn Llwyd, parliamentary leader for Plaid Cymru, said Hain’s position had become untenable some days ago.”It’s not personal at all, I do have sympathy for him,” he said. “But the tide turned when we realised there were 17 donations undeclared but more so when we discovered this Progressive Policy Forum about which no one seems to know anything at all [about].”If there were to be an innocent explanation of what that forum was I think we’d have heard it by now. Had we had it I think things might have turned out differently.”
Tags: depu, health, shock, spokesman