Peter Hain to face police enquiry

[Saracen]

Following the much-publicised issues with Peter Hain's late declarations of large donations, the Electoral Commission has consulted with Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, and has now formally referred the matter to the Police for investigation.

This is now the THIRD police inquiry into Labour party funding arrangements in a few months. The way things are going, I hope the government get a move on with those new prison places they're supposed to be building.

[Saracen]

And now, according to reports, Peter Hain has resigned so he can "clear my name".

I wonder if he'll demonstrate the same "incompetence" (Gordon Brown's words) that Hain used over his office admin and donation reporting requirements?

[scruffy]

It's comedy isn't it? Why would you resign if you knew you were innocent?

"Mr Hain has blamed poor administration and has said the suggestion he tried to hide anything was "absurd"."

So why are you quitting if you've got nothing to hide?

You're right, this is another in an ever growing string of cock ups since Brown took over "running" the country. If it's not departmental incompetence then it's "poor administration".

Get em out, now. The Tories can't do any worse surely?

[Saracen]

It's comedy isn't it? Why would you resign if you knew you were innocent?

"Mr Hain has blamed poor administration and has said the suggestion he tried to hide anything was "absurd"."

So why are you quitting if you've got nothing to hide? .....

Well, I don't like Hain at all personally, but the answer to that could well be the political dimension. One way to protect the government from embarrassment over this fiasco is to preclude opposition MPs getting TV time by calling for his resignation, which they can't do if he's already resigned.

Besides which, it's entirely possible that this was a case of jumping before he was pushed. Gordon Brown, with that "an incompetence" remark wasn't exactly brimming over with support for Hain, and if this was going to be a problem for Borwn (and arguably it was), then it would have been entirely within Brown's mandate to fire his (as a minister). If he got fired, it might make a Mandelson-style comeback a lot harder. But if he resigns, doing the "honourable" thing (and I'll bet that's how he spins it), and the enquiry comes to nothing (as they seem to), he'll be back in a cabinet job in a few months, with a smug grin.

So, in answer to your question, the reason could be political, and sheer expediency.

[Bazzlad]

Wow. All this from the Government that screamed "Tory sleaze" at the top of their nasally voices every time a Tory got his leg over, and look at them now. Unbelievable.

[Saracen]

Yes, quite so, Bazz. I seem to remember Blair promising New Labour would be "whiter than white".

Right.

[Bazzlad]

This Country needs another Thatcher, or at least parts of her - time to stand up to everyone and do what is best for Britain, whether it's popular or not.

Not sure I can see Cameron doing that though, but he's worth a punt! Anyone but Brown!

The thing that makes me laugh about this Country is our lack of people power - remember the strikes when Petrol hit 80p (iirc)? It's over a quid now, and everyone is all just heads down.

What a joke.

[iranu]

Here here. What's so deliciously ironic is that Hain, whilst an opposition MP shouted the loudest with regard to Tory sleaze. I really despise Hain, he's the slimiest of toe rags. Guido Fawkes estimates he still owes £41,200 in campaign debts.

He was a typical militant lefty "expletive" too.

In 1972 he was sent a letter bomb that failed to explode because of faulty wiring. In 1976 Hain was tried for, and acquitted of, a 1974 bank robbery, allegedly having been framed by South African intelligence agents. 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.

Peter Hain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Such a remarkable resemblance to another **** - I wonder if he modeled himself on Mr B'stard.