The Shadow Cabinet and their pasts (postscript and preview)

It is odd that if a politician or opinion former is discovered to have been a supporter of a "far right" party during their youth then they are forever tarred with the brush of "racist" or "fascist" and yet those who dallied with the equally vile politics of the extreme left during their formative years are allowed to pretend this daliance is of no concern. Either mistakes made in one's youth are unforgivable or they are not, but let us at least be consistent. In my mind allying ones self with racists and fascists is wrong, but no worse than allying oneself with the murderous creed that killed more people than fascism, kept on killing them after the Second World War and enslaved & killed many millions after the war had ended. The Marxist creed was responsible for around 20 million deaths in Stalin's Russia, 40 million in Mao's China, and millions more in Cambodia and elsewhere that Marxists decided they could improve their countries by imposing the will of the collective good.

Thus the last Labour cabinet had four senior members whose background includes well documented dalliances with the extreme left of British politics; namely Peter Mandelson, Alistair Darling, Jack Straw and Alan Johnson. Yet I never heard their extremist backgrounds ever mentioned by the BBC. It is odd that Peter Mandelson's former membership of the youth wing of the Communist Party of Great Britain is never mentioned, whilst David Cameron and George Osborne's membership of the less relevant socially exclusive student dining club at Oxford University, The Bullingdon Club, is frequently brought up. It is odd that the former Chancellor of the Exchequer's former support for the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Trotskyist Fourth International is never mentioned despite the group, at the time Alistair Darling was a supporter, having completely rejected parliamentary politics and being found to have made "vicious, violent and unprovoked attack on the Police". Surely it is interesting that the man, allegedly, in charge of the UK economy was formerly a Trotskite, a member of an organisation which wanted to destroy that economy. Surely similar comparisons should have been made about Jack Straw and Alan Johnson, the men who headed the UK's government departments responsible for law and order & justice.

I wonder if the latitude given by the BBC to the "ex"-Communists of the Labour party has any connection with the number of people of a similar background within the BBC; now that would be interesting to find out.


In June 2009 I blogged about the political and working pasts of all the Labour Cabinet members and discovered that whilst just one, Liam Byrne, had had a previous job in the real economy, the background of the others was illuminating:

'ex-Marxist or extreme-Socialist backgrounds:
Peter Mandelson
Alistair Darling
Jack Straw
Alan Johnson


Only ever been in politics or related:
David Miliband
Alan Johnson
Hilary Benn
John Denham
Ed Balls
Ed Miliband
Andy Burnham
Baroness Royall
Jim Murphy
Yvette Cooper
Peter Hain
Bob Ainsworth


Media then politics:
Gordon Brown
Peter Mandelson
Jack Straw
Shaun Woodward
Andrew Adonis
Ben Bradshaw


Lawyer then politics:
Alistair Darling
Harriet Harman
Jack Straw
Douglas Alexander


Various third sector jobs before politics:
Tessa Jowell


Jobs in the real world before:
Liam Byrne'

I suppose that pretty soon I must wade through the biographies of such as Meg Hillier to see what lurks in their pasts... However here's a reminder of the political pasts of some of the people who have worked so hard to destroy Britain and its economy over the last 13 years (or maybe longer): 'Peter Mandelson - "in 1971 left the Labour Party Young Socialists (LPYS) to join the Young Communist League, then the youth wing of the Communist Party of Great Britain. This move was partly a result of disagreements with the Trotskyist Militant tendency that had just won a majority in the LPYS nationally.... director of the British Youth Council in the late 1970s. As BYC director, he was a delegate in 1978 to the Soviet-organised World Festival of Youth and Students in Havana, Cuba, with Arthur Scargill and several future Labour cabinet colleagues........"


Alistair Darling - "Before joining the Labour Party at the age of 23 in 1977, Darling was a supporter of the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Trotskyist Fourth International... He became a solicitor in 1978, then changed course for the Scots bar and was admitted as an advocate in 1984. He was elected as a councillor to the Lothian Regional Council in 1982 where he supported large rates rises in defiance of Margaret Thatcher's rate-capping laws and even threatened not to set a rate at all..."

Jack Straw - "Straw was elected chair of the Leeds University Labour Society at the 1966 Annual General Meeting, when the Society changed its name to Leeds University Socialist Society and withdrew its support from the Labour Party..."

Alan Johnson - "Johnson joined the Union of Communication Workers, becoming a branch official. He joined the Labour Party in 1971, although he considered himself a Marxist ideologically aligned with the Communist Party of Great Britain... A full-time union official from 1987, he became General Secretary of the newly-formed Communication Workers Union in 1993 following a series of union mergers... Just three weeks before the 1997 general election, Johnson was selected to stand for Parliament in the safe Labour seat of Hull West and Hessle when the previous incumbent, Stuart Randall, stood down suddenly. Randall was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords."

Peter Hain - "In 1972, a private prosecution brought by Francis Bennion in regard to his leadership of the illegal direct-action interference with the tours resulted in a ten day Old Bailey trial with the jury failing to agree on three charges and hence he was acquitted on those charges, but Peter Hain was found guilty of criminal conspiracy and fined £200. He appealed against the conviction in 1973. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal with costs. As reported in the Daily Telegraph of 23 October 1973, the court said his conviction was "fully justified". Lord Justice Roskill said Hain had not elected to give evidence, adding that "He gave no explanation of his part over the incidents with which he was charged."

Bob Ainsworth - "He first became active in politics as a trade unionist at the Jaguar Cars plant in Coventry, where he worked from 1971, and served in many capacities within the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union there, including four years as the Branch President. During 1982 and 1983, he was a candidate member of the International Marxist Group, but he was never a full member of that organisation.


Analysis of the new Shadow Cabinet next weekend...

Peter Hain and free-speech

Peter Hain, that bastion of probity, has threatened the BBC over its decision to invite Nick Griffin onto Question Time on Thursday. He is reported to have said that

"If you do not review the decision you may run the very serious risk of legal challenge in addition to the moral objections that I make.

"In my view, your approach is unreasonable, irrational and unlawful."

Why is free speech so anathema to so many on the left of British politics?

Peter Hain has to face reality

Peter Hain on Question Time facing a question and a promise "You may have forgotten us, but come the next election we will not forget you!". The look on the odious Hain's normally so smug face between 0:36 and 0:38 is one that I recommend you replay over and over again until the general election.

Thanks to Daily Referendum for the spot and The Crown for the video.

The Cabinet and their pasts

I have been increasingly irritated over the years by the way that any dalliance with the "extreme right" in a Conservative politician's youth is regularly brought up by the BBC and other media whereas the "extreme left" past of Labour MPs is ignored. Today I decided I had had enough and thought I would track down the Marxist pasts of the Labour Cabinet. In fact what I found was that the current Cabinet splits into six groups - the ex-Marxists, the never done nothing except politics, the ex-media types, the ex-lawyers, the ex-third sector and those who have had a real job before entering politics. So before the pen portraits here is the breakdown:


ex-Marxist or extreme-Socialist backgrounds:
Peter Mandelson
Alistair Darling
Jack Straw
Alan Johnson


Only ever been in politics or related:
David Miliband
Alan Johnson
Hilary Benn
John Denham
Ed Balls
Ed Miliband
Andy Burnham
Baroness Royall
Jim Murphy
Yvette Cooper
Peter Hain
Bob Ainsworth


Media then politics:
Gordon Brown
Peter Mandelson
Jack Straw
Shaun Woodward
Andrew Adonis
Ben Bradshaw


Lawyer then politics:
Alistair Darling
Harriet Harman
Jack Straw
Douglas Alexander


Various third sector jobs before politics:
Tessa Jowell


Jobs in the real world before:
Liam Byrne


So this Labour cabinet comprises just one person who has had a real job in the productive sector, just one. It does however have four lawyers, six ex-media and twelve who have only ever been involved in politics or related areas. There is a degree of double-counting in this list as Jack Straw appears multiple times; I never realised that Jack Straw was in fact a Renaissance Man!


Returning to my original point, the current Labour cabinet has four senior members whose background includes well documented dalliances with the extreme left of British politics; namely Peter Mandelson, Alistair Darling, Jack Straw and Alan Johnson. I have yet to hear the extremist backgrounds of any of these four individuals mentioned by the BBC. It is odd that Peter Mandelson's former membership of the youth wing of the Communist Party of Great Britain is never mentioned, whilst David Cameron and George Osborne's membership of the less relevant socially exclusive student dining club at Oxford University, The Bullingdon Club, is frequently brought up. It is odd that the current Chancellor of the Exchequer's former support for the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Trotskyist Fourth International is never mentioned despite the group, at the time Alistair Darling was a supporter, having completely rejected parliamentary politics and being found to have made "vicious, violent and unprovoked attack on the Police". Surely it is interesting that the man, allegedly, in charge of the UK economy was formerly a Trotskite, a member of an organisation which wanted to destroy that economy. I will leave you to draw up your own comparisons for Jack Straw and Alan Johnson, the men who now head the UK's government departments responsible for law and order & justice.



In the pen portraits, all quotes are taken from their respective heavily edited Wikipedia pages:

Gordon Brown - PhD, dull TV journalist, Labour politician.

Harriet Harman - "Legal officer for the National Council for Civil Liberties and as such was found in contempt of court by Sir Hugh Park in the important civil liberties case Home Office v. Harman 1983 1 A.C. 280, 308 (the conviction for contempt being upheld on appeal), before becoming MP for Peckham in a by-election in 1982." She's the niece of an Earl.

Peter Mandelson - "in 1971 left the Labour Party Young Socialists (LPYS) to join the Young Communist League, then the youth wing of the Communist Party of Great Britain. This move was partly a result of disagreements with the Trotskyist Militant tendency that had just won a majority in the LPYS nationally.... director of the British Youth Council in the late 1970s. As BYC director, he was a delegate in 1978 to the Soviet-organised World Festival of Youth and Students in Havana, Cuba, with Arthur Scargill and several future Labour cabinet colleagues. He was elected to Lambeth Borough Council in September 1979, but retired in 1982, disillusioned with the state of Labour politics. He worked as a television producer at London Weekend Television on Weekend World, forming an enduring friendship with John Birt, then LWT's Director of Programmes, before being appointed as the Labour Party's Director of Communications in 1985...."


Alistair Darling - "Before joining the Labour Party at the age of 23 in 1977, Darling was a supporter of the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Trotskyist Fourth International... He became a solicitor in 1978, then changed course for the Scots bar and was admitted as an advocate in 1984. He was elected as a councillor to the Lothian Regional Council in 1982 where he supported large rates rises in defiance of Margaret Thatcher's rate-capping laws and even threatened not to set a rate at all. He served on the council until he was elected to Parliament. He was also a board member for the Lothian and Borders Police and became a governor of Napier College in 1985 for two years."

David Miliband - "Politics at universities both in England and the US, and started his career as a policy analyst at the Institute for Public Policy Research. At 29, Miliband became Tony Blair's Head of Policy whilst the Labour Party was then in opposition and was a major contributor to Labour's manifesto for the 1997 general election which brought the party to power. Blair made him head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit from 1997 to 2001, following which Miliband was elected to parliament for the north-east England seat of South Shields."

Jack Straw - "Straw was elected chair of the Leeds University Labour Society at the 1966 Annual General Meeting, when the Society changed its name to Leeds University Socialist Society and withdrew its support from the Labour Party... He qualified as a barrister at Inns of Court School of Law and practised criminal law. From 1971 to 1974 Jack Straw was a member of the Inner London Education Authority and Deputy Leader from 1973 to 1974. ... He served as political adviser to Barbara Castle at the Department of Social Security from 1974 to 1976 and then to Peter Shore at the Department for the Environment to 1977. He then worked as a researcher for the Granada TV current affairs series, World in Action." Then became an MP.

Alan Johnson - "Johnson joined the Union of Communication Workers, becoming a branch official. He joined the Labour Party in 1971, although he considered himself a Marxist ideologically aligned with the Communist Party of Great Britain... A full-time union official from 1987, he became General Secretary of the newly-formed Communication Workers Union in 1993 following a series of union mergers. Before entering Parliament Johnson was a member of Labour's National Executive Committee. During this time he was the only major union leader to support the abolition of Clause IV. Just three weeks before the 1997 general election, Johnson was selected to stand for Parliament in the safe Labour seat of Hull West and Hessle when the previous incumbent, Stuart Randall, stood down suddenly. Randall was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords."

Hilary Benn - "became a Research Officer with the ASTMS and rose to become Head of Policy for Manufacturing Science and Finance. In 1979 he was elected to the Ealing Borough Council where he was Deputy Leader from 1986 to 1990. He was the Labour candidate for Ealing North in both the 1983 General Election and 1987 General Election. On both occasions he was defeated by the Conservative candidate Harry Greenway. When Labour won power in 1997, Benn was appointed Special Adviser to David Blunkett as Secretary of State for Education and Employment. In 1999 he was quickly selected as the Labour candidate for the Leeds Central by-election following the death of Derek Fatchett."

Douglas Alexander - Perpetual student in Scotland and US. "Whilst studying in America, he worked for Michael Dukakis during the 1988 American Presidential Election campaign, he also worked for a Democratic senator in Washington, D.C.. In 1990 he worked as a speech-writer and parliamentary researcher for Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary, Gordon Brown. He returned to Edinburgh to study for an LL.B. at Edinburgh University, where he won the Novice Moot Trophy and graduated with Distinction in 1993. He then qualified as a solicitor. On qualifying as a solicitor he worked for a firm of solicitors in Edinburgh." Then became an MP.

John Denham - "After leaving education in 1977 he became an advice worker at the Energy Advice Agency in Durham, before becoming a transport campaigner with Friends of the Earth in 1978. He was Head of Youth Affairs at the British Council from 1979 until 1983, and was responsible for public education and advocacy for War on Want from 1984 to 1988. He subsequently worked for Christian Aid, Oxfam and other development agencies until his election to Westminster."

Ed Balls - Political geek - "He joined the Labour Party at the age of 16 but while at Oxford joined all the main political societies, including the Conservative Association, so that he could "hear all the speeches at all the political clubs"."

Ed Miliband - "a Labour party researcher and rose to become one of then Chancellor Gordon Brown's confidantes and chairman of HM Treasury's Council of Economic Advisers. Miliband was elected Labour Member of Parliament for the South Yorkshire constituency of Doncaster North in the 2005 general election. "

Andrew Burnham - "researcher to Tessa Jowell MP from 1994 until after the 1997 General Election. He joined the Transport and General Workers Union in 1995. After the 1997 election he was briefly a parliamentary officer for the NHS Confederation from August until December 1997, before taking up the post as an administrator with the Football Task Force for a year. In 1998, he became a special adviser to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Smith, where he remained until his election to parliament."

Shaun Woodward - "From 1982–90, he worked as a researcher and producer for BBC TV News and Current Affairs on the programmes That's Life!, Panorama and Newsnight...From 1991–2, he was Director of Communications for the Conservative Party." Conservative then Labour MP.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon - "special adviser to Neil Kinnock, the Leader of the Labour Party, in the 1980s, and she has remained a close ally of his ever since. She sought selection as Labour's candidate for Ogmore in a 2002 by-election. However, the constituency party preferred to choose Huw Irranca-Davies as their candidate. When in 2003 she became head of the European Union's office in Wales there were calls for her to stand down because of her Labour connections."

Tessa Jowell - social worker, charity worker, politician - miraculously protected against too much criticism over her husband's financial affairs, due to her saying she left the mortgage paperwork up to Mr Mills

Jim Murphy - "President of the National Union of Students Scotland, after attending the University of Strathclyde. He was then elected in 1994 as President of the UK NUS, serving until 1996. Under his leadership in 1995, the NUS dropped its opposition to the abolition of the student grant in line with the Labour Party's policies. Subsequently Murphy was condemned by a House of Commons Early Day Motion signed by 17 Labour MPs for 'intolerant and dictatorial behaviour' shortly before being elected to Parliament"

Yvette Cooper - economics researcher, domestic policy specialist, policy advisor, research associate, economic correspondent with The Independent, Labour MP

Liam Byrne - Communications Officer of the University of Manchester Union, founder of the computer company e-Government Solutions Ltd, a provider of e-commerce solutions to government, and is an associate research fellow at the Social Market Foundation. Before working in Parliament, he worked for the multi-national consulting firm, Accenture and merchant bankers, N M Rothschild & Sons, before co-founding a venture backed technology company, eGS Group, in 2000. Between 1996 and 1997 he advised the Labour Party on the re-organisation of Millbank, and helped lead Labour’s business campaign.

Peter Hain - "In 1972, a private prosecution brought by Francis Bennion in regard to his leadership of the illegal direct-action interference with the tours resulted in a ten day Old Bailey trial with the jury failing to agree on three charges and hence he was acquitted on those charges, but Peter Hain was found guilty of criminal conspiracy and fined £200. He appealed against the conviction in 1973. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal with costs. As reported in the Daily Telegraph of 23 October 1973, the court said his conviction was "fully justified". Lord Justice Roskill said Hain had not elected to give evidence, adding that "He gave no explanation of his part over the incidents with which he was charged." In 1976 Hain was tried for, and acquitted of, a 1974 bank robbery, allegedly having been framed by the South African Bureau of State Security (BOSS). Two schoolboys positively identified him. A deliberate "double" may have taken part in the robbery. Despite modern DNA techniques and mass fingerprinting now being available no further investigation of this unsolved case is known to have taken place. He joined the Liberal Party and was elected president of the Young Liberals, but in 1977 switched to Labour. The same year, he was a founder of the Anti-Nazi League and he remains a prominent supporter of Unite Against Fascism today."

Bob Ainsworth - "He first became active in politics as a trade unionist at the Jaguar Cars plant in Coventry, where he worked from 1971, and served in many capacities within the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union there, including four years as the Branch President. During 1982 and 1983, he was a candidate member of the International Marxist Group, but he was never a full member of that organisation. In 1984, he was elected to the Coventry City Council, and was its deputy leader from 1989–1992."

Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis - "From 1991 to 1996 he was a public policy correspondent, industry correspondent and public policy editor at the Financial Times. In 1996, he moved to The Observer to work as a political columnist and editor. From 1987 until 1991 Adonis was an Oxford city councillor for the Liberal Democrats. In 1994, he was selected by Westbury Constituency Liberal Democrats as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, but resigned after about 18 months, without having fought an election. The next year, he joined the Labour Party. During the mid to late 1990s, he was politically active in Islington North... he was selected to contest St George's Ward, Islington Council for Labour in 1998, but withdrew from the process when the education and constitution policy advisor post previously referred to was offered. On 16 May 2005 he was created a life peer as Baron Adonis, of Camden Town in the London Borough of Camden, elevation to membership of the House of Lords making possible his appointment as a government minister without having been elected to Parliament."

Ben Bradshaw - Journalist then Labour MP

"serious and substantial"

Obviously not a description of Peter Hain but part of the verdict of the Standards and Privileges Committee. The whole report is full of the usual verbiage, which I will wade through at the weekend, but the conclusion is worth a read (my emphasis):

"We agree with the Commissioner that Mr Hain's failure to register donations on this scale is both serious and substantial. We are bound to take this into account, notwithstanding the facts that Mr Hain has apologised unreservedly, and that he acted with commendable speed to rectify his omissions once he discovered them, without waiting for others to invite him to do so. Because of the seriousness and scale of this breach and noting the considerable, justified public concern that it has created, we would ordinarily have been minded to propose a heavier penalty. However, we accept that there was no intention to deceive and Mr Hain has already paid a high price for his omissions. We therefore recommend that Mr Hain apologise by means of a personal statement on the floor of the House."

So Peter Hain escapes with the equivalent of slapped wrist, despite his failure being described as "serious and substantial", partly because he has already paid a high price - presumably this means losing his Cabinet job. Is this the sort of plea in mitigation that any barrister can use from now on?

"M'lud I would ask that despite finding my client guilty of murdering his wife you take into account the fact that he has already suffered enough by virtue of recently becoming a widower and so not send him to prison."

The BBC spent so long tearing Caroline Spelman apart when she was accused of impropriet, who will forget the Newsnight expose. I wonder now that Peter Hain has been found to have failed to register donations in a way that is "serious and substantial" if Newsnight will spend even half as long on this story. I think we all know the answer to that.

Not "appropriate nor proportionate"

What staggeringly surprising news, hot on the heels of the revelation that Peter Hain would not

"face charges over the late declaration of donations to his Labour deputy leadership bid.... Prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to charge him with anything."

Today I read that:

"No action will be taken over a £3,000 donation which Justice Secretary Jack Straw declared more than four years late, electoral officials have said."

Apparently

"the Commission said it would not be "appropriate nor proportionate" to take any further action."

You couldn't make this sort of thing up and under this Labour government we don't have to.

Peter Hain (update 2)

Back in July I confidently predicted that:

"the CPS will decide either that "a prosecution would not be in the public interest" or that there is "insufficient evidence to prosecute"."

Today the BBC "report" that (my emphasis):

"Former cabinet minister Peter Hain will not face charges over the late declaration of donations to his Labour deputy leadership bid.

Mr Hain, who quit the government in January to clear his name, was investigated over £103,000 declared late to the Electoral Commission.

Prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to charge him with anything. "

There we go, everybody happy?

Speaker Martin shows his teeth again, "not"

A Telegraph blog reports that:

"In the Commons debate over the Prime Minister's trip to the G20 summit in Washington, none other than Peter Hain (you remember, the one who's still under a police investigation) just rose to lob a soft question to Mr Brown.

Leaving aside the speculation about why Mr Hain wants to be helpful (hey, if Mandy can come back from the dead twice, who'd rule the Return of Hain?), the intervention was striking for another reason.

In his question, Mr Hain asked the PM to dismiss the economic plans of "Boy George and the Conservatives".

Now, I haven't got my Erskine May to hand, but I'm fairly sure that George Osborne is entitled to be referred to in the chamber as "the hon member for Tatton" or "the shadow chancellor". And not as "Boy George", any more than Mr Hain should be referred to as "that dodgy orange bloke".

Whatever debates rage outside the Commons, the chamber is supposed to maintain some standards. But did Michael Martin rise to reprimand Mr Hain or correct him? Not a bit of it. So apparently it's now in order for Labour MPs to insult Mr Osborne in the Commons. Poor show, Mr Speaker."

Speaker Martin is possibly the worst Speaker for many years, he only got the high paid job when Labour used their 1997 majority to override convention and elect a second Labour Speaker rather than a Conservative. He has protected Labour ministers time after time and is only exceeded in his chip on the shoulder attitude by the vile Prescott. The damage that Labour have done to this country since 1997 is often blamed mainly on Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, the efforts of such "men" as Mandelson, Prescott and Speaker Martin should not be discounted and come the reckoning I trust that they will be judged and punished appropriately.

The BBC and the George Osborne story

I can't remember the last time I have heard the BBC sound so cheery about a news story. At last they have a good old fashioned Tory sleaze story to run with and they are going to squeeze every last drop out of it. Odd how they pay so much attention to this story and that of Caroline Spelman but so little to the original Peter Mandelson story, Peter Hain, Keith Vaz or the Tony Blair/Bernie Ecclestone revelations.

So PMQs tomorrow should be interesting, Gordon Brown will have his devastating sixth "answer" prepared and ready to unleash whatever the question, maybe David Cameron should ask his first five questions and forego the sixth, that would confuse Gordon Brown...

Meanwhile recalling Peter Mandelson to his Cabinet looks to have been a rare Gordon Brown master-stroke; the "Prince of Darkness" has taken just a week to work his magic. From now on, aided and abetted by the BBC, Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson will try and change "the narrative" to their advantage and see if the political landscape can be changed enough to make the conditions favourable enough to call a snap Spring 2009 general election.

Peter Hain update

The BBC are reporting that:

"Police have handed over evidence relating to donations to Peter Hain's deputy Labour leadership bid last year to the Crown Prosecution Service.

It follows an inquiry into the late declaration of more than £100,000 given to his failed campaign.

The Metropolitan Police said the CPS would say whether more inquiries were needed or charges should be brought.

Mr Hain, who quit the cabinet over the issue, said he wanted to clear his name "as quickly as possible".

He ran to be Labour's deputy leader but came fifth out of six candidates in last year's contest.

All those taking part should have told the Electoral Commission about any donations towards the campaign.

Mr Hain has admitted that although he declared £77,000 on time, a further £5,000 was not declared until November - and in January admitted that a further £103,000 should have been reported.

In total, 17 donations were reported late to the commission.

After the case files were handed to the CPS, Mr Hain said: "As I have said all along this was a mistake by my campaign, but an innocent mistake.

"When I discovered the problem it was I who immediately notified the authorities that a number of donations had been declared late.

"I have consistently provided them with all the information they might need, and I hope to see my name cleared as quickly as possible."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We have had regular consultation with the CPS since the inquiry began and it is now a matter for the CPS to consider the evidence, advise us on whether any further enquiries are necessary and whether any charges should be brought."

Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, donations have to be reported within 60 days of being offered.

Before he resigned to "clear my name", Mr Hain, Labour MP for Neath, had been the work and pensions secretary and Welsh secretary."

I confidently predice that the CPS will decide either that "a prosecution would not be in the public interest" or that there is "insufficient evidence to prosecute".

BBC and Tory sleaze

The BBC are obsessed with sleaze, so long as it is Tory sleaze, any excuse and off they go. The Caroline Spelman story is the lead on Newsnight again, that's the 10 year old story. Other headline Tory sleaze stories recently have been: Derek Conway and his son, Giles Chichester and the Wintertons. Meanwhile try and spot stories about the far more serious allegations against Ed "Gordon's Brain" Balls and Yvette Cooper, Wendy Alexander or Peter Hain (a much underplayed story). These stories about Labour politicians are always underplayed almost to the point of invisibility, whilst the TORY SLEAZE stories are headline news.

The BBC's pro-Labour bias is so blatant that it is little more than a Gordon Brown propaganda conduit.

Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper under investigation by Parliament's standards watchdog - shhh the BBC don't want to tell you

Bloomberg are reporting that:

"Two of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's closest allies in the U.K. Cabinet are under investigation by Parliament's standards watchdog after a complaint they abused allowances available to lawmakers to pay for their London home.

Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon's office confirmed that it has been investigating Children's Secretary Ed Balls and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper since February.

Balls and Cooper, who a year ago became the first husband and wife to serve together in a British Cabinet, claim the cost of the mortgage on their London home from taxpayer funds, arguing that their main residence is in Yorkshire, northern England, where the pair represents adjoining electoral districts.

``The rules on which is a member of Parliament's main home are actually quite clear,'' Liberal Democrat lawmaker Nick Harvey told reporters in London today. ``It must be based on where they spend their time.''

As ministers, both Balls and Cooper have full-time jobs in London, and commute between their two homes. Between them, they claimed a total 31,974 pounds ($63,000) in the year through March 2007 under an allowance designed to cover the cost of living away from home, according to the House of Commons. The most an individual lawmaker can claim is just over 22,000 pounds."

Oddly the BBC have decided that whilst the Caroline Spelman story was hugely important and worthy of a Newsnight special report, a story about two current cabinet ministers is not even worth mentioning.

As I have said before in the BBC's eyes Tory sleaze is a major story and the person implicated must go. In contrast, Labour sleaze is just not possible and if proved is just inconvenient and any resignation must be accompanied by expressions of regret.



UPDATE:
The BBC are nore reporting the story here as the last of the "Other Top Stories" on the Politics page. Contrast that with the HEADLINE news that was the Caroline Spelman story.

Tory Sleaze, Tory Sleaze, Tory Sleaze

The BBC have a report entitled - "Watchdog 'baffled' by MPs' probe" which starts:

"Standards watchdog Sir Christopher Kelly says he is "baffled" as to why MPs thought it appropriate to carry out a review of their expenses themselves.

The Commons Members Estimate Committee, made up of MPs, led by Speaker Michael Martin is looking into MPs' expenses.

Sir Christopher said the results of the review were unlikely to command as much public confidence as they would if there was outside involvement in it.

The MPs' report on reform of their allowance system is due in mid-June."

Obviously some examples of the kind of expenses issues under question are called for, so who do the BBC mention:

"Tory MP Derek Conway" and "Tory chairman Caroline Spelman".

No mention of Ann Keen's life assurance policy, Barbara Follett's window cleaning bill, Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper's questionable property expenses, Peter Mandelson's £3,000 shower, Tony Blair's £10,600 kitchen or the many allegations made against Peter Hain to name but a few examples.

Why would the BBC be so selective? Surely they are not biased against the Conservative party, they are after all independent by charter.

"It'll come back to haunt you"

Remember this electoral campaign?


Harriet Harman - Hilary Clinton, usual women's solidarity reasons

Hilary Benn - Waffle, waffle, waffle - sounding worryingly like his dad

Alan Johnson - Republican candidates look pretty gruesome, would prefer Al Gore

Peter Hain - Hilary Clinton but would prefer a Democrat to a Republican - Doesn't his face colour clash with the purple background

Hazel Blears - Ignored the question and waffled

Jon Cruddas - Barack Obama



If Barack Obama does get the nomination, how will Harriet Harman react? She will probably claim she always wanted him to win.

Guido's Sunday Sleaze roundup

Take a look at Guido's Sunday Sleaze roundup; there's more sleaze news about Peter Hain as well as Bob Spink, the Wintertons, plenty on Alan Johnson and of course Wendy Alexander.

BBC at it again...

Once again I have been looking at the BBC's Politics home page and once again the bias is obvious.


The top story is: "No more resignations, says Browne - No more senior Labour figures will quit over the donations row, according to Defence Secretary Des Browne."

That's covering a Labour sleaze story by spinning it to a story that that is reporting an end to the resignations - how convenient for Harriet Harman.


Story two is: "FSA 'failed over Northern Rock' - The Financial Services Authority failed in its duty over the Northern Rock crisis, a key committee of MPs says."

That's covering a news story with negative links to Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling by covering jus the report by the Labour dominated Treasury Committee.


Story three is: "Straw in talks over bail murder - Justice Secretary Jack Straw is meeting the family of Garry Newlove, murdered by a youth who was out on bail."

A nice positive story about a Labour minister.


Let's look at the "OTHER TOP STORIES":
OTHER TOP STORIES
"'Double standard' on data safety" - An article critical of HM Revenue and Customs (see my article for comment

"Cut the soundbites, Cameron told" - An article repeating criticism of David Cameron made by Ken Clarke

"Number 10 rejects Karzai claims" - An article repudiating criticism or British troops

"Brown global bank reform call" - A pro Gordon Brown article

"Teachers to ballot on pay strike" - A story about a public sector union fighting government pay controls

"MP Malik on wedding countdown" - "Britain's first Muslim minister has announced he is to marry the "woman of his dreams" on 10 February. Shahid Malik, 40, and his bride-to-be - a 24-year-old trainee solicitor - will marry in a Muslim ceremony in London in front of around 500 guests." - Is this really the ninth most important UK political story? Or is it there because it is pro a Muslim Labour MP?


The only mention of Peter Hain is "PETER HAIN RESIGNS - Peter Hain profile" - No criticism just a profile.

Then come the minor stories:
"Lib Dem fears on Murphy's return" - Finally an anti-Labour story, but it is about Wales so who outside of Wales will read it?

"Full text: Hain and Brown letters" - Just the text, no comment

"Reaction: Peter Hain resignation" - Carefully balanced, can't have too much criticism of Peter Hain and certainly not of Gordon Brown

"Murphy back as Welsh Secretary" - Positive story about new Labour minister

"Purnell heads reshuffle changes" - Positive story about new Labour minister

"Timeline: Hain funding row" - Finally some of the Hain case facts


I should go on and analyse the "MORE FROM POLITICS" section, but Mrs NotaSheep is calling me and I think the stories speak for themselves:

"MPs choose sub-inflation pay rise

Darling revises capital gains tax

Terror detention plans unveiled

Livingstone defends mayor power

Salmond pledges job loss support

PR rejected for general elections

Galloway plans Assembly bid

Mayor Livingstone defends staff

Council tax 'set to rise by 4%'

WMD dossier 'should be public'

Millions lost in NHS private fees

Brown appoints new chief of staff

Expenses details 'to be published'

Champion free trade - Cameron

Point-by-point: Question time

Labels 'key to tackling obesity'"


The BBC bias shines through as always.

Why will the prosecution of Peter Hain not go ahead?

You choose why the prosecution of Peter Hain will not go ahead?

a) "a prosecution would not be in the public interest"

b) "insufficient evidence to prosecute"


It will be one or the other because for some peculiar reason Labour government ministers never seem to get prosecuted, strange that...



On a related matter, once cleared how long before he is brought back into government - not because Gordon Brown wants or needs him back, but just to show us who are the masters and who are the subjects now?

Peter Hain

Private Eye has some worthwhile pieces on Peter Hain, I suggest you get hold of Lord Gnome's organ and have a read. One item that I will repeat is a quote from Peter Hain whilst he was Leader of the House of Commons, he sad this on 26 June 2003 "It is of the greatest importance that the conduct of Members of the House meets, and is seen to meet, the high standards expected by the Wicks committee [on standards in public life], and also by our constituents. Lapses, however rare, are very damaging to public confidence in the House and in our parliamentary democracy. If lapses occur, and are not seen to be tackled with sufficient rigour, the effect is many times worse."

I'll repeat that last sentence "If lapses occur, and are not seen to be tackled with sufficient rigour, the effect is many times worse." Come on then, authorities, Peter wants you to investigate with "sufficient rigour", don't let him down.

More Peter Hain news

Apparently the Telegraph are reporting that "The Electoral Commission confirmed to me yesterday that it wrote to Mr Hain, at the beginning of his campaign, outlining his obligations and his duties relating to the declaration of donations. The letter explained to him that he was legally responsible for his campaign, and it was his responsibility to ensure that all donations were declared within 30 days of receipt. Forms were provided for him or his team to do just that. All these forms had to be signed by him personally. Indeed, we know he received the forms, because he did declare some donations on May 31."

Gordon Brown gets something right

Yesterday Gordon Brown told ITV's News at Ten: "Peter Hain has confessed to his mistakes and he has apologised in the most profuse terms for what has gone wrong.
"It was a mistake that was made, it was an incompetence that he has readily admitted to."

At last some sense from Gordon Brown, even if he did go on to plead "This now goes before the Standards Committee in the House of Commons and before the Electoral Commission and I believe that they will understand that this was a failure but there was no corruption involved, no illegal donation made, and I hope that they will be able to accept his apology."


In further Peter Hain news:

The Telegraph reports that...

"One of the undeclared gifts, the £10,000 from the GMB, came as the union was fighting to save 2,500 jobs at 43 Remploy factories.

Ministers had claimed the Government-owned plants - which employ disabled workers - cost too much to run.

The donation was banked on September 4 last year, according to Mr Hain.

On September 25, during a well received speech to the Labour conference, he announced a £555million plan to safeguard Remploy's future.

Mr Hain insisted there would be no compulsory redundancies and pledged to try to win more contracts for the firm.

Two months later, he rubber-stamped plans to close only 17 sites - fewer than half of those earmarked for the axe. A further 11 were to be merged.

The Tories demanded answers from Mr Hain last night.

Mark Harper, the party's disabilities spokesman, said: "Now we know that the GMB made sizeable secret donations there will be concerns that Peter Hain's decisions were influenced by union cash.

"Unless he can deal with this straight away his time will be up. This business appears to get murkier and murkier."

Tory MP David Davies said: "The whole thing looks very shady and very sleazy.

"He has been around long enough to know there is no such thing as a free lunch or a free £10,000.

"You can't be seen to take money one minute and then make a decision which benefits the donor the next." "


Please stay in post Peter you are doing so much damage to this Labour government it is worth it!