That's All We've Got Time For

I did an interview on the Today programme at 8.45 about the David Laws situation and the part homosexuality played in the story. I was on with Kelvin MacKenzie and Evan Davis was conducting the interview. He came to me for the first two questions and then asked Kelvin two, or was it three, questions. I assumed I'd then get another bite of the cherry but instead he sought to close down the interview. No doubt someone had whispered in his ear to do so. I audibly groaned so he then came back to me after all.

What is the point of being part of a double header interview if there isn't at least some discussion? Why close down an interview just when it is getting interesting? OK, it was near the end of the programme and they probably had two other items to get through, but I just feel that the listener is short-changed when this happens.

New LibDem MP in Expenses Revelation

The world of politics was left reeling last night after the Daily Telegram uncovered the astonishing revelation that Liberal Democrat Minister Tarquin Boothby has an overdue library book at Ashby-de-la-Zouche town library. Mr Boothby immediately issued a statement explaining that he was unable to return the book due to the inordinate time it takes to write a Focus leaflet urgent parliamentary business. He went on: "I shall of course take immediate steps to return the book and will in future reorganise my affairs to ensure that this sort of error of judgment can never happen again."

But Westminster insiders doubted whether Mr Boothby's ministerial career could survive this latest revelation. Only last year the Telegramm revealed Mr Boothy's April milk bill was paid four days late. Conservative blogger Tim Dale described his situation as "tenuous" and predicted that the coalition might collapse. But Libdem blogger Stephen Pack thought it probable that Mr Booth could survive the revelations. "He's made a minor error of judgement which is certainly no worse than Tory and Labour MPs. At least he hasn't moved in with his boyfriend though, so things are looking up."

Danny Alexander is 94.

Podcast: The 7 Days Show Episode 26

The lastest edition of the Seven Days Show is now online.

This week we discuss David Law, his resignation, and what it means for the coalition; the recent appointments to the Lords; the election of Graham Brady MP to the 1922 committee; and of course what I would sing if I ever represented us in the Eurovision song contest. As usual a smattering of smut and good fun throughout the show. Thanks to all of you who have stuck by us!

To listen to the podcast click HERE, or you can also subscribe to the show in the Tory Radio section in the podcast area of Itunes.

Ed Miliband: A Politician Without Principle

Hasn't Ed Miliband got any principles? Not according to his leadership campaign website...

UPDATE: I see that Ed Miliband's webmaster has now removed the "Ed's principles" headline rather than actually add a list of principles! Hilarious!

Presenting on LBC This Weekend

As you may know I have been presenting the odd programme on LBC. This weekend they're letting me loose on the airwaves every day for three hours. I hope you'll tune in if you have a spare minute.

Saturday Breakfast Show, 7am-10am (in for James Max)
Sunday 4-7pm (in for James Max)
Monday 1-4pm (in for Jeni Barnett)

You can listen in London on 97.3fm, on DAB, Sky Channel 0124 or it's streamed live at lbc.co.uk. And if you want to phone in you can do so on 0845 6060973, text 84850 email iain@lbc.co.uk.

Ben Bradshaw, Hang Your Head in Shame

What an utter cock.

Mad Conspiracy Theory, Or... ?

A short extract from my MoS column...

David Laws is hardly the only gay in the Westminster Village. But he is perhaps the only one who thought his relationship could escape the glare of media scrutiny.

This rather quaint belief might have been reasonable had he not been thrust into the public limelight as a Cabinet Minister. After all, a backbench Lib Dem MP in a gay relationship is almost considered par for the course.

But through his stellar performance as Chief Secretary to the Treasury during the first three weeks of the coalition, Laws made himself a target.

Firstly, he made public the private note left on his desk by his predecessor, Liam Byrne, which said: ‘I’m afraid to tell you there’s no money left.’

And secondly, he pulled out of Question Time last week after Labour refused to withdraw Alastair Campbell as its spokesman on the programme.

This accusation may be way off beam, but it wouldn’t at all surprise me if somebody’s tricks department had tipped off The Daily Telegraph about the nature of his relationship with James Lundie and it was that which provoked them to trawl through their expenses files again.

Now, when I say 'somebody'... Conspiracy theory, or?

Mail on Sunday Column on David Laws

Click HERE to read my column in today's Mail on Sunday about the David Laws affair.

I know I will now get slagged off for banging on about homosexuality. But isn't it strange that the very same people who criticise me for talking about it, are the very same ones who think David Laws should have been open about it. It's a bit like pro abortion people being against the death penalty or pro death penalty people being pro life.

Oh God, what have I just started...

David Laws Quits

About an hour ago I tweeted that David Laws was resigning. In a couple of minutes the news channels will confirm the news via a statement from the Treasury. Terribly sad on several grounds and a bitter blow to the new coalition government.

More later...

More Thoughts on David Laws

LBC listeners were split this morning on the David Laws issue. Some phoned in with some very tough words for him but others were more sympathetic. There seems to be a font of goodwill towards the coalition. People wish it well. If David Laws survives, it will be because of that.

When Ken Livingstone came into the studio to trail his programme he said he couldn't understand why Laws would keep quiet about his sexuality "in this day and age". I understand only too well. I did the same thing for a number of years and only 'came out' (I hate that expression) to family and friends when I was 40. No one can understand how difficult it is, telling your parents that the person they thought they knew is actually someone else. Sort of. Everyone told me: "They will already know, you'll see". No, I replied. I know my parents. And I was right. They hadn't got a clue.

I will never forget that day, even though on many occasions I have wanted to. I'm glad I did it, but I know it was a tremendous shock to my mother and we have never discussed it since. So when David Laws explains why he wanted to keep everything private I understand only too well. The only reason was because he didn't want to hurt those closest to him, especially his mother. That's the thing about us gayers, we'll do anything to avoid hurting our mothers :).

Furthermore, those who accuse Laws of exploiting the taxpayer would do well to remember that he clearly didn't gain from the rental arrangement he had. He paid £950 pcm for renting a room in Kennington. I know this is a bargain as I looked to do exactly the same thing in Kennington last year but decided I couldn't afford it. If he had moved into a one bedroom flat the taxpayer would have been paying far more. If Laws was seeking to maximise his income he would have either designated his Somerset home as his second home and claimed for the mortgage on that, or he would have bought a property in London and claimed for that. He didn't, and yet he's being mercilessly slagged off.

What we have done here is create a system where MPs are now, on average, claiming far more than they used to before.

A lot will be written about the definition of the word 'partner' and whether David Laws has broken the spirit, if not the letter, of the 2006 regulations. It may well be that he will be forced from office because of it if the Standards Commissioners decides against him. If that is the case we all need to take a long hard look at what has been done in our name to our political system. When fundamentally good and decent people like David Laws are drummed out of office we all need to sit up, take notice and ask how we have let it come to this.

And spare a thought for James Lundie. He never asked for this. His anguish will be as great, if not greater, than that of his partner.

David Laws: I Hope He Survives

I'm about to hit the hay as I have to get up early in the morning to do my LBC show. Guess what the phone in is likely to be about. Yup, David Laws.

The Telegraph has revealed tonight that he has claimed £40,000 in expenses over eight years to rent a room from someone who turns out to be his lover.

The first thing to say is that there appears to have been no financial gain. Renting at £950 per month is not extortionate by any means in central London. And if he had moved out into his own place it would no ddoubt have been far more.

I suspect part of, if not all, the reason Laws didn't fess up to this arrangement before was because he did not want to 'out' his relationship. Many of us have suspected for some time that David is gay, but if he didn't want to come out, that was his business. He and his partner didn't even tell their friends. I know exactly why he did this. I did it myself for a very long time.

The Telegraph hasn't outed him, but he has courageously decided to be completely open about the circumstances of his relationship and rental arrangements.

Sir Alastair Graham has been first out of the traps calling for his head. I used to have respect for his views, but no longer. He hangs around Westminster like a bad smell.

I hope David Laws survives this, partly because I do not believe he has a dishonest bone in his body, but also because the Coalition needs him. He has been hugely impressive over the last few weeks. But of course there will be questions about his future. It will be a test for him as to whether he can survive the pressure, but I truly hope he does.

If you want to air your views on LBC tomorrow morning between 7 and 10 you can call me on 0745 6060973 or email iain@lbc.co.uk.

UPDATE: This is David Laws' statement in full...

I’ve been involved in a relationship with James Lundie since around 2001 - about two years after first moving in with him. Our relationship has been unknown to both family and friends throughout that time.

I claimed back the costs of sharing a home in Kennington with James from 2001 to June 2007.

In June 2007 James bought a new home in London and I continued to claim back my share of the costs.

I extended the mortgage on my Somerset property - for which I do not claim any allowances or expenses - to help James purchase the new property.

In 2006 the Green Book rules were changed to prohibit payments to partners.

At no point did I consider myself to be in breach of the rules which in 2009 defined partner as ‘one of a couple … who although not married to each-other or civil partners are living together and treat each-other as spouses.’

Although we were living together we did not treat each other as spouses - for example we do not share bank accounts and indeed have separate social lives.

However, I now accept that this was open to interpretation and will immediately pay back the costs of the rent and other housing costs I claimed from the time the rules changed until August 2009.

James and I are intensely private people. We made the decision to keep our relationship private and believed that was our right. Clearly that cannot now remain the case.

My motivation throughout has not been to maximise profit but to simply protect our privacy and my wish not to reveal my sexuality.

However, I regret this situation deeply, accept that I should not have claimed my expenses in this way and apologise fully.

I have also referred myself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

The Daley Dozen: Friday

1. Guy the Mac on electoral fraud in Birmingham.
2. One Nation Tory likes Tom Harris but has lost respect for me.
3. Paul Goodman, like me, loves David Laws.
4. Matthew Hancock MP describes his week in the Commons.
5. Harry's Place asks what's the point of Sunny Hundal?
6. Wikio has its top 100 blogs for May.
7. Phil Cowley on a unique electoral event.
8. Liberal England reports that Phil Woolas may yet lose his seat.
9. Biteback Publishing on the new Wayne Rooney biog by John Sweeney and a book on making speeches by John Shosky.
10. Subrosa wonders if Question Time has had its day.
11. Craig Murray says it is Baroness Scotland who should be in jail.
12. John Redwood on cuts.
10. Tom Harris thinks there is no need for a delayed electoral verdict if a candidate dies.

New Peers List Enhances Labour Majority Over Tories

Well, if ever you needed evidence that the House of Lords should be elected, just click HERE to view the full list of new peers announced today. Here are some of the lowlights...

Quentin Davies
Tommy McAvoy
Floella Benjamin
Paul Boateng
Jack McConnell

...and last but not least, the old thumper himself, Lord Prescott.

There is a real Lavender List element to today's announcement with Gordon Brown rewarding his most loyal party and advisry apparatchiks with gongs. They include the Smith Institute's Wilf Stevenson, Sue Nye, Dianne Hayter, Anna Healy (aka Mrs Jon Cruddas) and Roy Kennedy.

Strangely enough there is no peerage for Peter Watt. I am gobsmacked. Almost as gobsmacked as I was to see Ian Blair get a peerage.

On the Tory side I am pleased to see Margaret Eaton, Guy Black, Michael Howard, Shireen Ritchie and Angela Browning ennobled as I think they will all do a great job as working peers.

There is another interesting aspect to this list - and that is that it further enhances the Labour majority over the Conservatives in the House of Lords from 23 to 36. Before this list there were

211 Labour peers
188 Conservative peers
72 LibDems
182 Crossbenchers

When these peers take their seats there will be

240 Labour peers
204 Conservative Peers
81 LibDems
183 Crossbenchers

What this means is that there will almost certainly be a further list of working peers announced before too long. I can see no logic for the Labour Party continuing to have nearly 20% more peers than the main party in government.

But hopefully the next list will be the last one to be announced in this way and then we can move towards a properly elected chamber before the end of this parliament.

UPDATE: Just a thought. Isn't it wrong that there are no SNP or Plaid peers?

Working for the State

In an average working day, how long do you think you work for HM Revenue & Customs, and how long do you work for yourself. This rather good little vide from the TPA explains it in very simple terms.

I wonder how many people realised any of this.

2010 Iain Dale's Diary Blogreaders' Survey: Please Take Part

Each May I conduct a survey of the readers of my blog. Its aim is severalfold. I genuinely want to know what you like or dislike about the blog - what you think I am getting right and what I am not. And this year is especially important, as I think the blog has reached a bit of a watershed and I am mulling over in which direction to take it in future.

In addition, it's an opportunity to find out more about you, your politics and background. It's partly because I am nosy and partly because I can then make a more accurate pitch to potential advertisers. Advertisers are taking blogs increasingly seriously, but they need accurate information about a blog's readers if they are going to pay for space.

Anyway, there are 30 questions and it should take you 10-15 minutes to complete. Last year, more than 2,500 of you took part. Hopefully we can beat that this time. Thanks for taking part.

Click HERE to take the survey.

Two Wrongs at Number Ten

What a ridiculous decision by Number Ten to withdraw a panellist from Question Time because Alastair Campbell was representing Labour rather than a Labour frontbencher. It makes them look petty and small minded. The Question Time production team were quite right to tell them to bugger off. It's for Question Time to invite guests onto their programme, not the government.

And while I am on about it, I would love to know why Mark Flanagan has been retained as Director of Strategic Communications in Downing Street. I know Mark and like him. But he is a Labour supporter through and through. What on earth is he doing still there? I suspect he is as surprised as I am. I find it incredible that the Strategic Communications of a Conservative/LibDem government is in the hands of a man who has spent the last two years helping to prevent it from being elected. Bizarre.

A Tale of Two Ladies

Doesn't it strike you as a little unfair that the lady who Baroness Scotland employed illegally has just been sent to prison for eight months, while Lady Scotland escaped with a £5,000 fine, and kept her job (which the electorate has just relieved her of)? A slight imbalance in the scales of justice, I think.

Dedward Make it to the Final

Hattip: Javelin

Dedward are still the only two Labour leadership contenders to gather enough nominations to make it through the final stage. Ed Balls still needs another ten, while Andy Burnham must be wondering how he can get to 33. As for McDonnell and Abbott, it's virtually imposssible for them unless the Labour Party National Executive changes the rules. Again.

I imagine that Ed Balls will make it, purely because the Labour Party just couldn't stomach having a leadership battle between two members of family dynasty. Just imagine if the same thing had happened in the Tory Party. The press outcry - as well as the Labour outcry - would be immense.