Theresa May MP: What does this Government actually know?

If October was a bad month for the Prime Minister, November is turning into a nightmare.

This week, the Government revealed that it has no idea where the CDs containing the personal details of 25 million people are.  But it was just one of three stories this week where the public was left wondering: what exactly does this Government know?

1. They don’t know where the discs are

So the Government loses the personal details of 25 million men, women and children.  The Prime Minister says he “profoundly regrets” what has happened.  But that’s not much consolation to the millions of families who have been left following Alistair Darling’s advice to “check their bank statements”.

And, typically for this Government, we’ve had denial and spin.  The denial came from the Prime Minister.  He claimed that the fiasco was for ‘operational’ reasons rather than ‘systemic’ failure.  But according to a written answer just three weeks ago, there were 2,111 security breaches at HMRC last year.  This latest incident was the third in a recent string of embarrassing events.  And there are reports that two more CDs are missing.  Make no mistake – this was down to systemic failure in HMRC – a department set up by Gordon Brown himself.

The spin came from Alistair Darling.  He hadn’t told Parliament immediately, we were told, because the banks wanted enough time to put “appropriate safeguards” in place.  He said “the banks were adamant that they wanted as much time as possible to prepare for this announcement”.  But the British Bankers Association said: “None of our members asked for any extra time.”

He also told us that the fatal decisions in HMRC were taken by “junior officials”.  But we now know that it was a ‘Senior Business Manager’ who took the decision to put the information onto the discs, and it was done with the knowledge of the ‘Assistant Director of HMRC, Process Owner for Tax Credits and Child Benefits’. 

The Chancellor’s version of events lies in tatters.  And meanwhile, they still don’t know where those discs are.

2. They don’t know what the Northern Rock liabilities might be

Following the £24 billion bail out of Northern Rock, Alistair Darling told members of the Treasury Select Committee that he “fully expect[s] to be able to get that money back”.  But in his statement to Parliament on Monday, he studiously refused to say for certain that the money will be paid back. 

Yesterday in Parliament I asked that the Chancellor return to Parliament to answer the outstanding questions:

• What is the total Government liability? 
• What arrangements are in place if the Government needs to seek a supplementary estimate to cover its liabilities? 
• How is the Government accounting for the liabilities?  Are they on or off balance sheet? 
• And what estimate has been made of the effect on the public sector borrowing requirement? 

But of course, my request was refused.  Why?  I’m sure it’s because the Government simply doesn’t know the answers.

3. They don’t know their own case for 58 days

Given all the controversy this week, it was easy to miss another shocking story.  On Wednesday, we discovered that the Government has no idea why it needs to increase the limit for detaining terror suspects without charge. 

The former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith says he “didn’t see any evidence during [his] time to indicate that longer than 28 days was necessary”.  Ken MacDonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions, says “we have not asked for an increase.  We are satisfied with the position as it stands at the moment”.  And just last week the Prime Minister strong-armed Lord Admiral West for saying exactly the same thing. 

We still haven’t had a statement to Parliament on the Government’s intentions – just half hints and spun stories.  Why?  Well, not even their own ministers seem to know why they want to raise the limit.

The Government is in a mess.  It doesn’t know where those discs are; it doesn’t know what the Northern Rock liabilities will come to; and it doesn’t know its own case for extending the ‘detention without trial’ limit. 

If October was a bad month for the Prime Minister, November is turning into a nightmare.  October was the month the shine started to come off; November was the month the wheels started to come off. 

Come election day, people will look back at these two months and conclude that they marked the beginning of the end of Gordon Brown.

Comments

[James Burdett]

Excellent article if only for the sentence "October was the month the shine started to come off; November was the month the wheels started to come off."

[activist]

4. They don't know they're born!

Excellent article Theresa. Keep up the pressure.

[Jennifer Roberts]

Another great article Theresa. Your pieces are consistently insightful. I don't really read the other columnists but I always make an effort to read yours. Please don't stop!

[Patsy Sergeant]

Yes I quite agree with Jennifer Roberts above, but then since you are 'spoilt for choice' so-to-speak, and have only covered some of the things that you will I am sure be doing in the future, because there just isn't space here - go to it!!

[Amber]

Blasphemy I know, but in my short life I've always supported Labour! The more political awareness I gain, however, just opens my eyes to one thing: they're useless. I had a similar discussion with a friend (instead of 'What does this Government actually know', it was 'What good have they done for us?') and what we found was exactly the same as you: they apparently do not know a thing and have done little positive for this country.

I find it amusing that after this fiasco with these missing private details that they still continue to bleat about ID cards! What ridiculousness! Furthermore, I remember reading an article where they were trying to put forward the idea of our DNA on a database. Then they have the audacity to ask why the public doesn't believe in politicians any more! So much talk, so little action.

This Government is building up an aura of incompetence and I have a feeling it's just going to continue.