Blunkett Resigns as UK Home Secretary

[WritersBlock]

David Blunkett has quit as home secretary following a string of newspaper claims that he fast-tracked a visa for his ex-lover's nanny.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk_politics/4099581.stm

[bin.dare]

1. finally !

and good riddance. If only Tony would do the same.

[sweetheart]

2. Wow!

I "knew" that the nanny thing was not by the book... any UK
immigrant who's had the home office take months to move a muscle
is more than aware that that process was expedited.... special
favours by the top cop... don't cut it.

On the other hand, i'm a bit sad. Despite the rhetoric, bunkett
has been very good for labour on crime, removing the tory's thunder.
The downgrade of cannabis was a good thing, and i kinda like blunkett,
hoping in a sorta hidden way, that he might have succeeded blair
as PM.

This radically weakens blair... i bet he appoints millburn to home
office.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. ITV news (Nick Robinson?) speculated Charles Clarke

currently at education, for his replacement. They said it should be announced tonight.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Charles Clarke confirmed as replacement Home Secretary

and Ruth Kelly moves from a junior Treasury post to replace Clarke as Education Secretary. David Millband (sp?) replaces her. Kelly and Milliband have both earlier been mentioned as 'rising stars'.

[sweetheart]

5. So the brown people capture education

hmmm... a stealth coup. I'm sure that Gordon Brown is secretly
very happy with the demise of this long-standing opponent.

[SweetLeftFoot]

9. Brown

You don't think Brown was had a major hand in it? Payback for not letting Brown run the election and putting that arsewipe Milburn in the role.

Moral of the story - never, ever, ever slag off your colleagues.

[D-Notice]

6. Seeing the HoL decision

which effectively bans indefinite detention w/out trial was one of Mr Blunkkett's main decisions...

It makes me wonder whether he had advance notice of the decision & is using this as an excuse to save the embarrassment he'd suffer if still in charge

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Embarrassment? Blunkett?

He'd just call the judges "bleeding heart liberals". and make another law acheiving exactly the same thing.

[Tripmann]

8. Glad to see....

...the back of that fu€ker, hopefully now the ID card scheme will be watered down, at the very least. The proposed cards are big brother in action big time and would do little towards their main 'stated' reason for being i.e. terrorism.

Tripmann

[D-Notice]

10. Just because they've got ID cards in the following countries

all of which have suffered terrorists attacks:

Spain
Israel
Russia
Indonesia

How can you possibly think having ID cards in this country won't prevent an attack? ;-)

[T_i_B]

11. They won't be watered down

I'm afraid I have to post this here.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1374907,00.html

The new home secretary, Charles Clarke, today rejected calls to reconsider plans for ID cards after Labour backbenchers suggested the departure of David Blunkett yesterday should prompt a rethink.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, also urged Mr Clarke to "pause" before pressing ahead with the national scheme.

But Mr Clarke, the former education secretary, who last night promised "continuity" at the Home Office, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: "I certainly shall not pause. I will go ahead with the legislation."

Mr Clarke, who will lead a Commons debate on the ID cards issue on Monday, said: "Identity cards are a means of trying to create a more secure society."

[T_i_B]

12. They won't be watered down

I'm afraid I have to post this here.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1374907,00.html

The new home secretary, Charles Clarke, today rejected calls to reconsider plans for ID cards after Labour backbenchers suggested the departure of David Blunkett yesterday should prompt a rethink.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, also urged Mr Clarke to "pause" before pressing ahead with the national scheme.

But Mr Clarke, the former education secretary, who last night promised "continuity" at the Home Office, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: "I certainly shall not pause. I will go ahead with the legislation."

Mr Clarke, who will lead a Commons debate on the ID cards issue on Monday, said: "Identity cards are a means of trying to create a more secure society."