UK: Home secretary [Jacqui Smith] 'set to step down'

[edesignuk]

Jacqui Smith is expected to stand down as home secretary in a reshuffle, Whitehall sources have told the BBC.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is set to shake-up his cabinet after Thursday's European and English local elections.

Ms Smith has been criticised for listing her sister's London house as her main home for expenses - and her husband's claim for an adult movie. BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8079205.stm).

Good. Useless, stupid, clueless twunt.

Now, what other useless, stupid, clueless twunt will replace her? :rolleyes:

[BoyBach]

And don't let the door hit your arse on the way out you money-grubbing authoritarian bitch.

[iBlue]

BYE!

You dried-up gormless self-serving evil bitch.

[edesignuk]

Good. Useless, stupid, clueless twunt.

And don't let the door hit your arse on the way out you money-grubbing authoritarian bitch.

You dried-up gormless self-serving evil bitch.I'm detecting a theme...:p

[arkitect]

Glory f*kinhalleloooyah!

As soon as Gordon Brown "officially" denied the rumours you could bet it to be true.

My day is made. :D

[xUKHCx]

1 down ...

[djellison]

Possibly the most incompetent minister this government has yet had. VERY glad to see the back of her. This women wasn't just bad - she was actually nasty and evil.

I'm dreading the result of Thursday voting - I just don't know how the public is going to react.

[Blue Velvet]

Meh. Revolving doors. People come and go, policy stays the same, while Gordon Brown dispatches those who may represent a threat from within the Cabinet before the next election. The Prime Minister is rightly concerned that after the predicted disastrous results of upcoming local and EU elections, that the men and women in grey suits will come for him.

There's talk of the chancellor being up for the chop, too. This is just a desperate move for political survival and will represent little change in government policy. No bills passed will be repealed. No changes in ID cards, surveillance, cannabis classification and a bunch of other things.

They're trying to portray it as a resignation, but she was pushed. It's not like there is some bright figure with a new broom waiting in the wings to undo and fix everything in the Home Office.

[Queso]

Not enough. It's the ducking stool for her I'm afraid :D

[Peterkro]

1 down ...

645 to go, still people will go on with the charade and imagine voting will eventually throw up a decent human being in spite of all evidence pointing to the necessity of being a complete bastard being a prerequisite of being a politician.

[Gelfin]

Better prepare yourselves. Now you'll have to board up the windows and fend off marauding hordes of Fred Phelps and Michael Savage.

[Queso]

Better prepare yourselves. Now you'll have to board up the windows and fend off marauding hordes of Fred Phelps and Michael Savage.
Good. We could do with a laugh :D

[NATO]

'set to step down' = You're fired ;)

[mactastic]

http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/trump-youre-fired.jpg

[BoyBach]

The collapse of morale sweeping Labour ranks was laid bare today when Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, and Tom Watson, one of Gordon Brown's closest political allies, revealed that they were quitting the government during a chaotic day that often appeared to be spiralling out of Downing Street's control.

Although Smith's departure had been predicted, the prime minister had hoped to deliver a choreographed reshuffle after Thursday's European and local elections, and instead found himself wrongfooted by a leak that provoked fears among his supporters of an attempt to unseat him.

The surprise resignation of Watson and that of the children's minister, Beverley Hughes, added to the sense of chaos, while two other Labour MPs – David Chaytor and Ian Gibson – became the latest Labour victims of the expenses scandal. Neither of them will be standing as MPs at the next general election.

Tonight there were suggestions that the chancellor, Alistair Darling, will tommorow announce that he too plans to stand down following widespread speculation that the prime minister wants to replace him with schools secretary Ed Balls.

...

The Welsh and Scottish nationalists will table a motion calling for an immediate general election next week. The motion will have the support of Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/02/labour-day-resignation-jacqui-smith


The words "rats" and "sinking ship" spring to mind.

[XnavxeMiyyep]

Yay! I'm happy for you guys in the UK. :D

[iBlue]

http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/trump-youre-fired.jpg

No.

173810

[Queso]

No.

173810
Indeed. Sralen > Donald :D

[NewGenAdam]

PLEASE

could somebody explain to me why she did such a TERRIBLE job?

[BoyBach]

PLEASE

could somebody explain to me why she did such a TERRIBLE job?


42 day detention. ID cards. Surveillance Society. Drugs classification. 88p bath plug.

[djellison]

Why she did a terrible job, or why the job she did was terrible?
First - don't know. Second? Wiki will fill out the details, such as:

Voted for introducing government registers on everyone in Britain backed up by ID cards.
Voted for introducing student top-up fees.
Voted for the Iraq War
Voted against investigating the Iraq war.
On 8 May 2009, The Daily Telegraph began publishing leaked details of MPs' expenses. The Telegraph revealed that Blears had been claiming the maximum allowable expenses, to under a pound, for 3 properties, as well as for stays in luxury hotels, £4,874 on furniture, £899 on a new bed and £913 on a new TV, the second such TV in under a year, and the maximum £400 a month in groceries. The Daily Mail printed allegations that Mrs Blears 'flipped' her homes in London three times in one year. Flipping is a technique whereby Members of Parliament switch their second home between several houses, which has the effect of allowing them to maximize their taxpayer-funded allowances.[26]
On 10 May The Sunday Telegraph reported that Blears had not paid capital gains tax on profit from the sale of a London flat. The property was registered as her main residence with the Inland Revenue but Ms Blears had been claiming MPs' second home expenses relating to the flat. She is reported to have pocketed a profit of £45,000 on its sale without paying capital gains tax.[27] The same day, The Guardian website reported that HM Revenue and Customs were to investigate cases of possible capital gains tax evasion by MPs such as Blears.[28]

[CarlisleUnited]

Now all we need is a general election and I'll be happy, so fed up of seeing Gordon Brown's face on the TV. Has anybody noticed he can't breathe normally? Watch his lower jaw move when he breathes in, drives me insane :p

[arkitect]

Now all we need is a general election and I'll be happy, so fed up of seeing Gordon Brown's face on the TV. Has anybody noticed he can't breathe normally? Watch his lower jaw move when he breathes in, drives me insane :p

But would little Lord Fauntleroy be any better?

Besides, I don't care how my politcians look as long as they do their jobs properly.

[iBlue]

^ True. But maybe if they weren't all so freakin ugly they'd stop compensating by raping our wallets...

...naaaaaaaah!

[arkitect]

^ True. But maybe if they weren't all so freakin ugly they'd stop compensating by raping our wallets...

...naaaaaaaah!

I don't know… I just don't buy into this "oh he's handsome therefore I must vote for him/believe he/she is trustworthy" mindset… another thing that blew over the Atlantic — and god look what it has done to France and Italy…
Brrrrrrrrrrr.
:(

[iBlue]

I don't know… I just don't buy into this "oh he's handsome therefore I must vote for him/believe he/she is trustworthy" mindset… another thing that blew over the Atlantic — and god look what it has done to France and Italy…
Brrrrrrrrrrr.
:(

Me either, it was a totally goofy/superficial comment on my part. Most of our politicians are some mighty unpretty folk though. </useless opinion>

[CarlisleUnited]

I don't care how he looks to be honest it's just the fact that he can't breathe properly that really irritates me. I can't say if Cameron can do a better job or not, nobody can, but the you can't argue that he hasn't done a terrible job in charge. Supporters blame the recession for all his troubles but this is just not an excuse after all was he not chancellor of the exchequer in the 10 years leading up to the recession?

[arkitect]

I don't care how he looks to be honest it's just the fact that he can't breathe properly that really irritates me
Well I still think that is a very superficial way of judging politicians.

but the you can't argue that he hasn't done a terrible job in charge. Supporters blame the recession for all his troubles but this is just not an excuse after all was he not chancellor of the exchequer in the 10 years leading up to the recession?

When did I argue for the case that he has done a great job? :confused:
Just because I maintain it is superficial of voters to criticise politicians for their looks or lack of ability to breathe correctly doesn't mean I think he's a great success… does it?

He could have looked like Daniel Craig for all I care and he still would have done a ******* job.
;)

[CarlisleUnited]

Somehow I think I can let my annoyance at his breathing not affect my vote, not that it would change it if I did ;)

[BoyBach]

I don't care what our politicians looks like or where they went to school, I just want them to have a bit of bloody integrity. Apparently that's too much to ask for.