A bit late to the Baroness Scotland party, I’m afraid, but because it’s a perfect opportunity to be able to say, “bang to rights” I thought I’d get involved. Better late than never.
If you don’t already know, the woman who passed a law forcing everyone to check that prospective employees have been authorised by the state to work was found to be employing an unauthorised worker. She’s been fined £5k, and everyone except Gordon Brown and his cabinet seem to think that breaking your own law is something that should cost you your job. Political nerds watch incredulously as Brown hopes the story will just go away.
Yesterday, on the radio, a well rehearsed and typically monotone Prime Minister told 5 Live’s listeners that resignation for Baroness Scotland would be inappropriate because all she’d done is forget to take some photocopies.
Then, tonight, Harriet Harman drags herself onto Question Time? and parrots exactly the same well rehearsed line.
Funnily enough I rehearsed my own line on this particular subject, and it’s very simple:
The reason you need the photocopies is to prove you’ve looked at the documents in the first place. No photocopies, no proof you’ve followed the rules. That’s why she’s been fined £5k, and that’s why she needs to be sacked.
The law considers failure to provide photocopies to be as bad as not looking in the first place for that very reason, so as not to create an incentive for people to have a lassez faire ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy regarding unauthorised employment.
It, once again, comes down to trust in politics and trust in politicians. One rule for them and another for us? The public just won’t tolerate it, if they ever really did.
Brown seems incapable of understanding just how much damage he’s doing by continuing to stick to Campbell’s stupid 12 days rule (if you’re still in the papers after 12 days, says Campbell, you have to resign… ergo, if it’s less than 12 days, wait and see what happens) in order to protect his team rather than doing the obvious and decent thing.
He has good grounds for thinking the story will go away before the 12 days are up – It’s Labour’s Conference after all, so it’s almost inevitable that the Baroness will drop off the news agenda very soon.
An end to spin? Not quite there yet, I’m afraid. Baroness Scotland’s resignation isn’t on Brown’s Media Grid, so it’s not going to happen.
Jennie said...
25 Sep 09 at 1:54 am
Like the redesign, Btw. Especially the Poirot font
TheBigYin said...
25 Sep 09 at 8:04 am
I don’t know about you Charlotte but I think the 5k fine was a bit lenient. On the news the other day was a couple who ran a restaurant who were fined the maximum for the exact same breach of the rules. It’s a not so funny old world innit!
Richard T said...
25 Sep 09 at 9:19 am
I’ve always believed that a lawyer is someone who by the nature of their profession would be painstakingly careful in examining any document placed in front of them and indeed all of the lawyers of my acquaintance both at work and personally fit this sterotype. If what Lady Scotland says is true then either all the documents, including the passport, were extremely good forgeries or she didn’t examine them carefully. If the former then she’s been treated properly and it’s down to her owns sense of integrity whther she thinks she should stay in office; if the latter then she’s not telling the truth and is any case not up to the job and should go. The only comfort is that whatever she does, she is adding to the stench of cyncism and self interest which will destroy the government.
Letters From A Tory said...
25 Sep 09 at 9:21 am
To be fair, Brown hasn’t really tried to ‘spin’ this story – he’s just behaved like a complete idiot detached from the real world.
Roger Thornhill said...
25 Sep 09 at 8:13 pm
For my part I do not think B S should be fined. Resign, yes, but the “law” is an ass to make someone who had been defrauded a criminal.
Let her stay in post ifandonlyif she repeals this and the 29,999 other bullshine “laws” introduced by this administration.
Edgar said...
26 Sep 09 at 1:48 am
One lesson that might be learned from the plight of the Baroness is that folk who try to ‘crack down’ (her own phrase) on others can set themselves up as hostages to the future.
Be careful what you wish on her. A spook could come back to haunt you.
Gordon Kennedy said...
26 Sep 09 at 10:36 pm
Justice should be blind, I suggest the Crown Prosecution should work in the same way as clinical drugs trials;
The CPS should have any document before them, written to obscure identity known only by a reference number.
The Police should not have direct contact with the CPS, and the judgment to charge for any offence made without knowledge of whether someone is a Baroness or a Forklift driver.
Further to this I suggest an additional charge of “Breach of Public Trust”, should automatically be put to any senior civil servant, MP, or Lord who is convicted of fraud, or corruption whilst in office……….Carrying a mandatory prison sentence.
Feel free to discuss the proposition with your Legal advisors Baroness
Gordon Kennedy
http://www.JustVoteThemOut.com
Frank Davis said...
27 Sep 09 at 12:50 am
I think this story may be gaining new momentum now that Baroness Scotland’s illegal employee appears to be claiming that she was never asked to produce her passport.
Charlotte Gore said...
27 Sep 09 at 1:38 am
Is it 12 days yet?
Bryan said...
27 Sep 09 at 3:21 am
Charlotte, I think the Mail broke it on the 17th, so we’re at the 10th day today, Sunday.
I can’t wait…
BTW, I like the makeover, and the mugshot!