John Hutton

I am confused, the BBC are reporting that John Hutton has resigned from the cabinet thus:

"Defence Secretary John Hutton has become the latest minister to quit the government - although he says he will remain loyal to Gordon Brown....

Mr Hutton said he thought fellow Blairite minister James Purnell had made "the wrong decision" and said Mr Brown was "the right man to lead our party and our country".

Mr Hutton told the BBC he was to stand down as an MP at the next election to pursue other projects."

Does nobody at the BBC think it worth reminding the public that it was John Hutton who memorably commented that Gordon Brown would be a "f***ing disaster as Prime Minister". Surely that sort of prescience deserves to be remembered.

Reshuffle rumours

I hear that Jacqui Smith is to stand down as Home Secretary at the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle. The BBC report that:

"Jacqui Smith is to stand down as home secretary in the cabinet reshuffle, sources close to her have told the BBC.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is set to shake up his cabinet after Thursday's European and English local elections.

...

It is understood Ms Smith, the first woman home secretary, intends to defend her Redditch seat at the next election.

Mr Brown confirmed to the BBC he is planning a reshuffle but refused to be drawn on individual ministers' roles."

That's a major Cabinet position freed up to shuffle Alistair Darling into, if Gordon Brown really tries to promote his old friend and colleague Ed Balls to the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer. Unless of course David Blunkett really is coming back after two forced resignations to takeover the Home Office; well Gordon Brown did bring back Peter Mandelson. In which case where to put Alistair Darling? Tea boy perhaps as any other cabinet position would be a demotion, unless he moves to the Foreign Office. But then what to do with David Miliband... Tricky things reshuffles, here's someone else who was worried about a reshuffle...


I wonder if Gordon Brown will keep a place in the new Cabinet for John Hutton. After all John Hutton was the Labour MP who went on record as saying that Gordon Brown would be a "f***ing disaster as Prime Minister", surely that sort of prescience deserves to be rewarded...

"complicit with serious abuse"

The BBC report that:

"Ministers have admitted they handed over terror suspects in Iraq to US authorities, sparking claims of collusion in extraordinary rendition.

Defence secretary John Hutton said two men detained in 2004 were transferred to US custody and were then transported to Afghanistan, where they remain.

He said he was reassured they had been treated humanely but apologised for past incorrect answers given to MPs.

The Tories said the UK faced charges of being "complicit with serious abuse".

The Lib Dems said Mr Hutton's comments raised "as many questions as answers" and called for all relevant documents in the case to be published.

Mr Hutton said that contrary to previous statements he now knew UK officials were aware that the two men, understood to be Pakistani nationals, had been transferred to US custody in 2004 but that no action had been taken on the issue.

He said "brief references" to the case had been included in papers sent to then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Home Secretary Charles Clarke in April 2006 but its significance had not been highlighted at the time. "

Read the whole of the BBC article, have a think about it, bear in mind John Hutton's remark that

"I regret that it is now clear that inaccurate information has been given to the House by my department "

Then wonder if John Hutton or Jack Straw will feel they should resign and then realise that this the 21st century and a Labour government and that Ministers don't resign. You might also wonder what Tony Blair really knew when in 2005 he said:

"It is not something that I have ever actually come across until this whole thing has blown up (the row at the time about whether US extraordinary rendition planes had passed through the UK) and I don't know anything about it, and the reason why I am not going to start ordering inquiries is that I can't see a reason for doing it, I am afraid."

"Whiter than white", "ethical foreign policy", respect for human rights - don't make me laugh.

Did John Hutton mislead Parliament

The Times reports that:

"John Hutton has been accused of deceiving Parliament over his explanation for a two-year delay in the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier programme.

The allegation came after Lockheed Martin, the American defence company, contradicted his account. He had said that the delay was linked to a later delivery date for the aircraft that the vessels will carry.

In a written Commons statement last month, the Defence Secretary said that construction of the 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth and her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, would be put back a further one or two years in line with the expected delivery of the Joint Strike Fighter, the combat aircraft designed to replace the Harrier. The fighter project has been running behind schedule.

Under the delayed in-service dates announced for the two carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth, which was to have been ready by 2014, will now be completed by 2015 or 2016, and HMS Prince of Wales will not be in service until 2016 or 2017.

Lockheed Martin, however, confirmed to The Times that it had been ready to provide the combat aircraft by 2014 but had been told by the Ministry of Defence to deliver in time for a 2017 initial operating capability.

The company, which is developing the Joint Strike Fighter in partnership with BAE Systems, said that the aircraft’s assembly line was already running and that other partners in the programme would get their aircraft before Britain.

It emphasised that deliveries to the MoD would start well before 2017 to allow the Royal Navy to build up operational capability before the in-service date. “It’s true that the MoD wanted its JSF initial operating capability for 2017, although we told them we could deliver by 2014,” the company said. "

I presume Newsnight will be investigating this story in great detail; maybe not.

Labour Minister - Do as I say, not as I do - Shock!

Sky News report that John Hutton, currently Business Secretary but with probable designs on becoming Prime Minister, may not practice what he preaches:

"The support of Business Secretary John Hutton for a campaign for better tips for waiters has prompted an irritated response from Sky News staffer Kris Jepson.

Mr Hutton told Sky News this is "an important issue" and that "we should support" waiters and waitresses.

Says Kris: "It's a pity he didn't feel this way when I used to serve him and his children dinner at the Fisherman's Arms Hotel in Baycliff, Cumbria. He ate at the establishment several times during my stint there as waiter and NEVER tipped us!""

What a shock, a Labour Minister who doesn't practice what he preaches; who would have thought it...