Liberal Burblings

Archive for January, 2008

A photo of a very under-stated campaigning event via : UK Daily Pundit

I see Tories such as James Cleverley trying to say how tough the Tories are on sleaze, based on the Conway episode:

Once the Standards & Privileges Committee made their report Derek made an immediate apology. He didn’t squirm, he didn’t hide and he didn’t blame a great left-wing conspiracy.

Hang on a minute – didn’t he say something about “administrative shortcomings” ? (pull the other one).

Compare the situation with that of Haine (sic), Alexander, Harman and Livingstone. What will it take for Gordon Brown to stop dithering and make a stand?

The real comparison to be made is that in the Labour cases cited there is no suggestion of the named politicians actually personally benefiting financially from any misdeeds. In the case of Conway, this is the case, respective to his family.

So, I don’t think there is any room for the Tories to crow on this one.

Giving credit where credit is due, I welcome David Cameron’s decision to withdraw the Tory whip from Derek Conway. The BBC reported prominently that Duncan Borrowman had reported Conway to the police, and the Mail report this morning about Conway’s eldest son must have also added to the pressure.

Conway’s explanation of an “administrative shortcoming” simply won’t wash.

Here:

The next time David Cameron rises at PMQs to attack sleaze within the Government Labour MPs will only have to shout ‘Derek Conway’ back at him to blunt his attack. Unlike Brown Mr Cameron did not dither. He needed just a few hours to decide what to do about Mr Conway. He was decisive but decisively wrong.

Iain Dale is meanwhile keeping schtum on this one because Derek Conway is a friend of his. That is laudable and I respect that. Wasn’t Iain nominated as “Political Commentator of the year” last year?