Nick Clegg: My admiration for David Laws has only grown

Comments

[eugene]

I, as a Conservative supporter, am deeply unhappy with aspects of this whole story.

This coalition is going to work and do good for Britain.

I hope Laws is back and soon.

[Andrew]

Clegg, in defending liar and thief Laws, proves that he himself has no moral compass.

[Caroline]

David Laws is a key figure in helping to tackle the deficit and I urge him to find the courage to return to the Cabinet and help the coalition to revive this country's economy.

[Patsy Sergeant]

No Andrew, it was Clegg, who with a stupid game of oneupmanship on the Debates, boasted that 'his' party were without 'sin', and the two major parties were the ones 'at the trough', actually revealed just how immature he was. Having committed himself to that stupid boast, it became inevitable that some beady-eyed journalist would ferret out a 'trougher'...., and this man's public humiliation is being borne with a good deal more quiet dignity, than the grosser troughing of the three porker Labour peers who - wouldn't you know - expect to be able to claim 'Parliamentary privilege' for their greediness, no wonder at least one of them looks so like a porker!

[Tony Makara]

While the party leaders cannot be blamed for the black sheep in their ranks, it does not enhance their credibility when those same leaders try to rehabiliate the wrongdoing of those who have let them down.

[Matthew Reynolds]

I think that when Dr Cable inevitably storms out in a huff over not getting his way over banking reform or student fees going up or over CGT increases that David Laws will be the new Business Secretary.The Daily Telegraph have struck at Mr Laws because they want to sell papers via sensationalism as well as for reasons of homophobia.They also decided to attack the most senior Lib Dem at a Treasury that may well raise CGT - a policy that The Telegraph opposes with vigor.

David Cameron has shown great shrewdness in his response.By making Danny Alexander the new Chief Secretary Cameron is 100% implicated the Scottish Lib Dem's in the impending spending cuts.They could be flayed alive by the SNP & Labor in next years elections to the Scottish Parliament- the cuts could do to them what the Poll Tax did to the Tories North of the Border.But if Alexander and Michael Moore try to save the Liberal Democrats in Scotland by curbing cuts then the English (who will face bigger spending cuts as a result) will turn on the Lib Dem's with a real anger.So if Scotland get both barrels in terms of spending cuts then Labor & the SNP can attack from the left and take votes and seats off of the Lib Dem's. But especially in Southern England if the Lib Dem's are seen as shafting England to rescue their Scottish political position then the Tories can benefit by playing on increased hostility towards the apparently pro-Scottish-anti-English Lib Dem's.

Moore & Alexander will have a torrid time having to defend spending cuts in Scotland that are even bigger than those enacted in the Thatcher years.Moore as a staunch republican will have to be nice to the Royal Family as part of his duty as Scottish Secretary.As a left-wing type he will have to defend a smaller state and less public borrowing.Also as pro-Euro fanatic he will have to defend the Redwood-Hague position of no Euro,a referendum on any extra powers for Brussels and possibly a repatriation of powers to Westminster from the EU.

The task for Labour is easy - just hit the Lib Dem's hard from the left as being little orange Tories.In Scotland propping up a spending slashing Tory government will not be popular- especially for two Lib Dem MP's (Moore & Alexander) who used to attack Blair from the left.

This mini-reshuffle shows David Cameron's astuteness.I regret the necessary resignation of David Laws and like the Deputy PM admire his dignity under pressure and his integrity as well.Still as I give Dr Cable about six-eighteen months in Cabinet David Laws will be back.His offense seems less bad than that of many of the present Tory Cabinet members (Maude,Letwin,Gove). And indeed of shadow cabinet members like Mr&Mrs Balls and Mr Darling the Shadow Chancellor as well as the Shadow Attorney General.

We need a Gladstone type following a sound liberal economic policy !

[David Hollins]

Many people have forgotten that Laws put a leaflet out,s aying his expenses had been cleared by Sir Thomas Legg ()unlike 50%+ of other MPs). Quite clearly, he was not telling the truth in that enquiry. He is only sorry now that he has been found out. If Clegg thinks that is good enough, then he was lying to the electorate too.

[Andrew Smith]

Yes, he showed how to work the system. What a class act he was!

[David Lindsay]

Whether or not David Laws leaves Parliament, has not a newspaper found an ideal solution to the present problem that, with no Fleet Street columnist who writes from within the life and subculture of the Lib Dems, that party of government is exempt from an important form of scrutiny? One of the more rightish papers, obviously. For example, The Daily Telegraph.

[Michael]

How many office pot plants could you buy with £40k? This might be small change to Laws but to many of us it isn't.

How many of those people calling for Laws to return quickly were critical of Lord Mandelson's return to Government?