David Laws - corrupt hypocrite?

Wookster

While I think this disclosure IS scandalous and damaging, surely Law's right to privacy is more important? After all, we do not know his personal/ family circumstances. Maybe his parents didn't even know - we are all entitled to have some secrets aren't we?

Rent was paid at market rates. Surely this indicates that his motives weren't dishonest.

silvercar

globalds wrote: »

He has made life style choices and they are neither illegal or allowed to discriminate against him.

He should have come out about his sexuality.People do vote for individuals as well as parties and someone who thinks that hiding things that are part of there being have failed the test.

The fact is that people do discriminate against homosexuals and that is why some still hide.

If anyone has failed the test it is society for letting this discrimination continue. We condemn racists to far more of an extent than we condemn homophobes.

ash28

Wookster wrote: »

While I think this disclosure IS scandalous and damaging, surely Law's right to privacy is more important? After all, we do not know his personal/ family circumstances. Maybe his parents didn't even know - we are all entitled to have some secrets aren't we?

Rent was paid at market rates. Surely this indicates that his motives weren't dishonest.

I agree with you to a degree, his parents and family possibly didn't know, but if he wanted to keep the relationship a secret, and have the press respect his right to privacy, he should have used his own money to pay for his "room" not the public purse. And no one would have been any the wiser.

His motives may not have been intrinsically dishonest but his use of public money was.

withabix

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Absolutely no way.

I do not agree with Mr Laws' fraudulent expense claims but totally respect his right to stay in the closet if he wishes.

He lost that right when he decided to commit the offence.

JasonLVC

If Laws is paying back the money and apologising....then that must mean what he did was wrong.

If this is a 'new style' of government then Cameron must act without hesitation on this one.

If Laws was concerned about his private arrangements, why claim expenses at all - that's the sort of thing that leaves an audit trail that could lead to disclosure.....like it now has.

Maybe Cameron's plan was to appoint a load of LibDem's in senior ministerial positions and then 'take them out' one by one using scandals.....so that he is 'forced' to replace them with Tories;)

Somerset

Remember the legislation they were talking about, were going to introduce, about constituency voter's being able to 'recall'/sack an M.P. ?? Wonder if this will get to that stage ?

Laws is my M.P.

treliac

Apparently he was ideal for his job but Cameron, however disappointed he must be, has no choice but to get rid of him or he'll lose his own credibility.

Remember the legislation they were talking about, were going to introduce, about constituency voter's being able to 'recall'/sack an M.P. ?? Wonder if this will get to that stage ?
Laws is my M.P.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Just seen this post. How is he viewed by his constituents? Would he be a good candidate for sacking?

treliac

JasonLVC wrote: »

If Laws was concerned about his private arrangements, why claim expenses at all - that's the sort of thing that leaves an audit trail that could lead to disclosure.....like it now has.

Yeah, don't you wonder how they think they'll keep on getting away with this sort of stuff?

Maybe Cameron's plan was to appoint a load of LibDem's in senior ministerial positions and then 'take them out' one by one using scandals.....so that he is 'forced' to replace them with Tories;)

A cunning plot, you think? My that would take some thinking through.... and enough knowledge to do it without going to this amount of trouble!

jonewer

silvercar wrote: »

The fact is that people do discriminate against homosexuals and that is why some still hide.

If anyone has failed the test it is society for letting this discrimination continue. We condemn racists to far more of an extent than we condemn homophobes.

Indeed, and theres an unsettling undercurrent of casual homophobia in a number of posts in this thread, "he should fall on a pork sword" for example. I find it disturbing how widely acceptable homophobia remains in this country but I guess ingrained bigotry doesnt die out that quickly.

Nevertheless it doesnt excuse what Laws did. He should resign or be sacked immediately. A clear message needs to go out that there is no such thing as an acceptable level of theft by public servants.

mvengemvenge

jonewer wrote: »

I find it disturbing how widely acceptable homophobia remains in this country

This is already being described, dryly, as second-home-ophobia.

I don't personally feel that his sexuality is really an issue in this at all, just the hypocrisy of cutting jobs that 'waste public money' whilst expecting the right to this money himself (which, as a multi-millionaire, he has less need of than others).

My main interest is what The Telegraph are up to. This is clearly related to their vociferous campaign against CGT, in my view. A warning-shot across the bows of the Cameron government.