David Laws: further reflection

Last night I stated on this blog that I hoped David Laws would not be hounded out of office. Nothing I have read since has changed my opinion.

There is no suggestion that Laws was seeking to, or did gain any personal financial advantage from his actions, nor I assume did his partner as the rent charged seems to be at the going rate. This marks out this case from most of the other examples of grubby expenses wrongdoing which were about financial self-interest.

The motive behind Laws' actions was to protect himself and his partner from the nature of their relationship and sexuality becoming public knowledge.

It is likely that what has happened has not damaged the public purse and it is public funds which the rules are there to protect. For this reason I hope Laws stays in post.

The argument being put forward by Laws that he was not in a partnership looks tenuous. He had lived with his partner since 2001 and extended the mortgage on his house to help his partner acquire a new property. Attempts to distance the relationship from being a partnership run the risk of suggesting it was simply a sordid sex relationship.

The problem for Laws is that the Labour Party will make political capital from this if he stays in post. His stature in the Commons will be diminished as will the standing of the coalition parties.

The debate will focus on the cant and hypocrisy of the Liberal Democrats who took the moral high ground at the general election characterizing the 'old' parties as riddled with sleaze. Those who live by the sword die by the sword. The Laws issue will haunt the Lib Dems and Clegg is particular.