Well, Blunkett's back, albeit as work and pensions sec. Does this mean we'll be moving away from criticising Labour's authoritatian streak and start dusting down our jackets? Hell no. Flinging aside the aspersions cast on Mr B's character leading to his exit, Blair has decided that Dave is feeling better, and is now prepared to step back into society and start tossing his orb about.
Rest assured, more blog inches will be dedicated to Clarke's ongoing campaigns, which may face harder opposition now Labour's majority has been squashed somewhat:
"Out of the 19 Labour MPs who voted against the government, 16 have been returned to parliament (with the remaining three standing down), while all 10 of the Conservative MPs who defied Michael Howard's instruction to abstain and instead voted with the Labour rebels have been re-elected. Other anti-ID card MPs who also won seats last night include Labour outcast George Galloway and Wyre Forest Independent Richard Taylor."
And, as Spyblog points out, Des Browne moves from Citizenship, Immigration and Nationality to a new spot as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. We await to see
3 comments:
Philip Cowley has more stats on Labour rebellion:
"This leaves 60 MPs with rebel form knocking around on the government backbenches. ...
Given Tony Blair's much reduced majority, it would only take just over half of these 60 to vote against the government to defeat it. Brace yourself. There are troubles ahead."
Any rebellion in the Labour ranks, depends on the Opposition to be united, and it is far from clear where the Conservative party stands on this issue (their manifesto slogans gave no clue)
If the ID Cards/Database Bill is re-introduced , as promised during the campaign, as a "top priority", "within a month" then the Tories are going to be still split by their perennial Leadership Crisis. If one leadership contender stands up against ID Cards/Database, will the others support them just out of political spite or calculation ?
The lobbying of Parliament needs to be done now, before the Bill is actually introduced
Support the cross party NO2ID Campaign (www.no2id.net) with money and your time before it is too late.
David Blunkett is back in a position of power, and is therefore still a danger to our civil liberties and freedoms.
How can anyone with his tawdry private life inspire confidence in those vulnerable people who depend on the Child Support Agency, which he now controls ?
The DWP has over 3,000 "benefit fraud" snoopers and employs countless private detectives, under Primary Legislation which exempts it both from large parts of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, and from the Data Protection Act. This allows them to demand records from, say, phone companies and ISPs etc. without getting a RIPA authorisation, and without having to pay the fees agreed between the Police etc. and telcos or ISPs.
Blunkett will probably increase and extend the intrusiveness of means tested benefits, and will have no qualms about handing over sensitive DWP data to other Government departments, and probably foerign governments as well.
The DWP is a vastly bigger empire than the Home Office, which Blunkett was too incompetent to manage properly (remember how he let the the Immigration and Nationality Directorate lose control ?)
The DWP is under the cosh of massive job cuts amongst the civil service.
Morale and therefore service to the public must have been adversely affected by the appointment of the bullying Blunkett.
Blunkett did not resign for his health or to sort out his family problems, he resigned because he was seen to have abused his official Ministerial position.
He should have faced criminal charges for abuse of public office.
I am not sure yet if Spy Blog will continue to document Blunkett's misdeeds or if more will appear on NuLabour.org.uk
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