Peter Hain's problem today is much the same as it was during the deputy leadership contest. Few people in the Labour Party really like him. This has become all to apparent in the last few days as several Labour MPs have called for him to go. On Friday it was Peter Kilfoyle, yesterday it was John Spellar. Today it is Ian Gibson.I understand Newsnight may be laying into him tonight and have been canvassing Labour bloggers to appear. Alex Hilton of Labour Home has declined to appear, despite calling on Labour Home for him to do the decent thing. At times like these, politicians in trouble need all the friends they can get. Even loyalist MPs are saying unhelpful things. My flabber was well and truly ghasted last night when I heard Emily Thornberry on the Westminster Hour having a bit of a go. She's normally so far up the leadership's posterior there is little wriggle room left.
Additionally, Tom Bower's book makes clear that Gordon Brown has always disliked Hain because of his naked attempts to appeal to the left, pretending that he's still a socialist really.
The news today that the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is instigating a full investigation is, well, hardly news, but there will be a real expectation that Hain will have important questions to answer. If he is found guilty and suspended from the House for a period, that really will be it. I'm not 100% sure of the order of procedure here but I think he could only be saved from this by the Standards & Privileges Committee. There is a Labour majority on it, and they have saved careers before (eg John Reid's), but I can't think on this they would go against the advice of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Graphic Hattip to Lakelander
32 comments:
Spot on Iain. As a Labour activist (on the Eurosceptic right of the party), I have nothing but total contempt for Hain. I dislike the way he periodically slagged off the Blair government in a nod and wink fashion while not having the balls to resign from it (unlike Denham and Cook re. Iraq). I also dislike his turncoat antics over Europe, particularly when he's turned into the worst sort of supercilious Europhile, the sort who doesn't bother to engage with arguments, but instead deals in puerile overgeneralisations such as calling all Eurosceptics xenophobes.
Nobody will miss Hain if he goes. I just hope someone decent, such as Pat McFadden, takes over from him.
The longer Hain lasts the better for the right as it keeps New Labours hypocrisy highlighted - much as holding on to John Prescott confirmed the moral bankruptcy of Blair's regime.
Perhaps that why Newsnight is so keen to get the 'coup de grâce' out of the way.
Ah, there is someone "decent" left then?
In corporate law directors can be removed or prosecuted if they show either incompetance or compliance.
How can Hain still be a Minister in charge of a massive department if he cannot tally up a few donations?
If he stays, it shows again the "them and us" mindset that prevails in politics - no wonder people have no faith in the political system any more.
Iain, you say, 'I can't think on this [the Standards and Privileges Committee] would go against the advice of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.'
I hope you're right, but my faith in the integrity of Labour politicians is draining away.
Are you sure that is Hains mug on that there toast. Looks more like Bob Piper to me
Saw his mug for the first time from one of your links and wondered for a minute why he had a mugshot of the orange one in his scroll bar.
Stephen "Steve" Pound was happy to come out and support Peter Hain over the weekend. But then I wouldn't trust a word Mr Pound says anyway.
With apologies & maximum respec to Rudyard Kipling
Now all you ambitious back-benchers today
Just switch off your iPods an’ ‘ark to my lay
An’ I’ll give you a warning as clear as I may
Follow Hain and your prospects will moulder
When the Deputy Leadership contest comes round
An’ your team says we need ‘alf a million pound
An’ your *think-tank* assures you the money’s been found
Think of Hain and just give ‘em the shoulder
When you’re caught bang to rights in a scandal like Hain’s
When your face is the colour of ripe mango stains
Jes swallow your whisky and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gord like a soldier
Actually the real reason he's finished is because he spent more than 200k on a popularity contest in which the only person he managed to beat was the Chipmunk. Ever since this dismal result he has been living on borrowed political time and even if he survives the current crisis the only way is down.
As the inimitable Justin McKeating put it on Chicken Yoghurt: Two hundred grand to be beaten in a popularity contest by Harriet bloody Harman? If I was him, I wouldn't be wondering if it
was worth carrying on in politics, I'd be pondering whether it was worth carrying on living.
There's a savage demolition job by Andreas Whittam Smith in the Independent today, headed: "Frankly I don't believe a word Peter Hain says."
Sorry, can't give a link.
You're right about the popularity thing.
Labour MPs like Jacqui Smith and supported her in recent difficulties.
Re Hain: What's to like?
Ah, yes, redeye, that is the word I was searching my memory banks for..
'Turncoat' - 8 letters that so neatly encapsulate what Peter Hain is about.
If it was anyone else they might shrug their shoulders and walk to the pavilion. But Hain is so desperate to be liked by the party leadership that it adds a delicious, and rather guilty, pleasure to watching him squirm as the support ebbs away...
Do you get extra paper reviewing gigs when you slip in a plug for BBC Newsnight then ?
If only it were that simple! An added compliction is that BBC2 Newsnight is entirely separate from BBC News 24!
From that moment in the late 1960s when he first emerged in Britain to date I have liked and admired Peter Hain. Unlike many of the opportunists in all parties Hain has a track record of which he can be proud. He was right about the obscenities of Apartheid but unlike other liberals who were hand-wringing from the comfort of their homes Hain did something about it. When my father told me that as a student in my early twenties I should regard Peter Hain as scum I knew that my judgement was right. He was the focal point of the movement to raise complacent British consciousness about Apartheid and 100% right to use sport as a means to get his message across. The elitist bunch of privileged old farts at the MCC whose nose Peter Hain got up deserved all that they got.
After the successes of his youth Peter Hain was a delightful irritant to the establishment as a young Liberal and the golf clubs up and down Britain continued to use his name as a devil icon to frighten their children. Hurrah ! Then, as he matured, PH realised that there wasn’t much mileage for an ambitious, clever and thoughtful politician in the Liberal party and so he joined Labour. And good for him (again) as well. Right again.
Hain has been a good Minister and thoughtful and articulate contributor to the political debate. I hope one day to see him as PM. (1) Because I think that he would be very good. (2) Because it would irritate the hell out of a bunch of Neanderthals who ought to be irritated. Hurrah for Peter Hain!
Just for a laugh, anyone any access to Hain's house to slip that slice into Hain's Hovis? How freaked would he be!
I see that the Newsnight running order says they will be asking the Conservatives about the Osborne donation.
It does appear that the BBC is not trying to be even-handed, but to be defame the Conservative Party. Somebody at CCHQ should think about serving a writ for libel on the BBC. If that paid off there would be no need for state funding.
not a sheep
Saw Stephen Pound on TV today and thought he looked the spitting image of Uncle Fester from The Addams Family. Scary!
Peter Kilfoyle is one of the most likeable Labour MPs (there's only a handful of them) a really nice bloke. He is right Hain is detested by both sides.
Was thinking the other day if Hattersley had been leader and Kinnock his lefty deputy would they have come to power?
In BBCi's latst story " Hain 'to co-operate' with inquiry" - surely the news would be "No I won't, can't make me!" but still - there are four related Internet links:
George Osborne
Conservatives
Mail on Sunday
Sun
So first 2 point to the Tories, next to the paper that "broke" the Osborne stuff and the last to the paper that led on Gordon Brown's support for Hain.
Balanced?
Hard to frame a rational response to the extraordinary Paddy Briggs@6.56, except to note that he is plump and bright orange. So, Peter Hain's doppelganger, then?
Peter Hain as PM, anyone? What would the odds be?
Don't think they are Ian they have the same bean counter
Where would he finish at the end of the season if league tables for MPs were introduced?
Have another drink Paddy.
Hain is a clown politically, and it seems administratively. But that is different to being "unpopular" as such.
Meanwhile Osborne (and it seems others, unspecified) have not got it right on their own very substantial incomings and the story of asking for advice is pretty weak as they waited 11 months to do that.
Particularly as Willetts got it right all those months ago. Flying Lion and Cashcroft generally may I think still unravel. We'll have to see.
Osborne also tells heinous fibs all the time and I'd guess that from the POV of a neutral commenter he'd look about as reliable as Hain.
(And here I'm relying on the Channel 4 fact checks and MEN story I've linked to).
I've got to hand it to Paddy Briggs.
He may be at tad wordy, but he's encapsulated almost everything I hate & despise about Hain.
Shame he didn't mention his colour.
Very good article by Peter Riddell in the Times, explaining the background to the dual compliance system which Osborne nearly got tangled in.
I see the Goverrnment Broadcasting Corporation reached rock bottom tonight with Paxman making a COMPLETELY UNJUSTIFIED & UNSUPPORTED SMEAR on Cameron. Three Helicopter flights declared in the HoC Register of Members Interests and not in the Electoral Commission Register. One flight was with six passengers therefore you could say £5k/6 < £1k. BUT NO EVIDENCE WAS GIVEN TO JUSTIFY their assertion that the other flights were in excess on £1k. An AMAZING declaration of interest by the BBC - "We work for NuLabour".
I guess no-one likes a smug git ;)
The next question will be...
Who's going to pay back the £25,000 loan on behalf of Peter Hain? I can't see him putting his hand in his own pocket. Not even MPs have £25k worth of loose change.
The sole defence promoted by Hain is based on only a few points, the first being that he was too busy and his team let him down. Be that as it may, it doesn't ring true as a certain number of donations had already been declared earlier.
Secondly, his assertion that he didn't know about some donations until Mendelson told him, is not strictly true. I've been digging backwards in the blogasphere and discovered that questions were being asked as long ago as last May and I understand that the Western Daily ran some news about it, but I haven't managed to get a copy myself.It's also a fact that cousin Guido was telephoning Hain's office in November last year - ages before Hain's alleged awakening by Mandelson. Hain only rushed over to register some of the donations on the very day Bloggers were making questions of his staff.
Thirdly, it has been published by one or two newspapers that some of the donors refused to donate to Hain, unless the payments were anonymous. That is why the bogus "think-tank" was used as a front and I believe that this final point is by far the most serious, apart from the "Round-figures" in the accounting, which my tax people would reject out of hand.
Paddy Briggs said...
"When my father told me that as a student in my early twenties I should regard Peter Hain as scum I knew that my judgement was right."
No. You are a stupid brat punk. Your father was clearly a wise man who deserved better and can claim the respect of all decent people.
Miss Wagstaff 15/1/08 12:03 AM
Who's going to pay back the £25,000 loan on behalf of Peter Hain? I can't see him putting his hand in his own pocket. Not even MPs have £25k worth of loose change.
He could just bump up his expenses a bit to cover it. I hear that The Labour Party want to double the "communication allowance" to £20,000 - that would certainly help.
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