Why Charles Clarke must go

Interviewed on this lunchtime's Politics Show, David Cameron said that he didn't get up every morning and think which minister should resign.  He hadn't called for Ruth Kelly to resign over January's sex offenders scandal or for Tessa Jowell's head over her "bizarre" mortgage arrangements.  There were three main reasons why he had called for Charles Clarke to go for the prisoner release debacle:

1. He had presided over the failure in the first place;
2. He had not dealt with the failure when it was brought to his attention last summer; and
3. He had misled the press and, perhaps, even the Prime Minister about the extent of the failure when it became public knowledge last week.

The pressure on Mr Clarke has only been increased by the Sunday newspapers.  The Sunday Times reports that "a woman who was dragged from the street and raped at knifepoint by a foreign criminal freed from jail has called on Charles Clarke, the home secretary, to resign".  The scale of Labour's crisis has even stopped the Independent on Sunday talking about the issues of Islington dining rooms.  "Cover up" cries its front page - referring to allegations that the embattled Home Secretary "tried to cover up the true scale of the threat posed by foreign prisoners wrongly released on to Britain's streets".

The Conservative Party's last Home Secretary - Michael Howard - writes that the whole affair has finally proved what many have long suspected... New Labour is good at politics but incompetent at governing:

"Tony Blair was the most brilliant Leader of the Opposition this country has ever seen. His knack for knowing how to get favourable coverage for himself and his party, and hostile publicity for the Government he was opposing, was quite beyond compare. The tragedy for him and the country is that he never made the transition from brilliant Opposition leader to competent Prime Minister.  Mr Blair and his ministers have never taken the trouble to understand how government works. Instead of rolling up their sleeves and applying themselves to the often difficult task of bending the bureaucracy to their will, they have set up Delivery Units, Performance Units, Co-ordination Units and a host of other gimmicks that have, for the most part, just created confusion and chaos, and made things worse."

For those interested in an academic examination of the "corrective effects of ministerial resignations" please read this from the LSE.

Comments

[Suggestion]

The fact that Clarke gave 2500 foreign prisoners who were up for deportation *leave to remain* came out last night. In many cases, overturning a judge's recommendation of deportation.

It should be publicised.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

I think you need to alter the colour/contrast on your television Editor - that screen capture makes David Cameron look like the lovechild of Judith Chalmers and David Dickenson.

[Deputy Editor]

It is good timing for Michael Howard to speak publicly about this, he symbolises our core vote credentials on crime at a time when it is a big issue and the government is at its nadir.

[northwest]

A pincer movement by old leader and new.

After the extraordinary Sunday papers, Cameron was spot on on the Politics show. Very reasonable, and completely right.

[Chad]

Couldn't agree more with DC on this issue.

Clarke did not hesitate to suggest that Jack Dromey should go for not knowing he was being kept in the dark about loans, and Clarke has shown he is incapable of bringing about the change that is needed.

The fact that DC has not, as he noted, routinely called for ministers to resign, makes his call more potent.

Faith in the HO to protect us cannot begin ot be rebuilt until Clarke resigns. As long as he is not replaced by Blunkett of course who presided over most of the unplanned releases (no sniggers those with mucky thoughts).

[Andrew Hickling]

Yes,good performance by Cameron on todays Politics Show.I tend to agree with what he said when asked about some sections of the conservativs being wary of the aproach he is taking.He made it very clear what his aproach would be like if he won the leadership.The focus of his bid was about the change he would persue and it was clear he wanted more women mp's and a focus on enviroment.He was elected on that basis so i totally agree with him when he says people should stop reacting as if all this change came out of the blue once he was elected.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Can one get a repeat of 'The Politics Show' online? as I missed it being out gardening!

[Yet Another Anon]

Deportation needs to be made an automatic provision with regards to anything but the most minor crimes when committed by Foreign Nationals, all consideration of what might happen to them when they are returned to their home country should be removed and politicians should have no authority to block such a deportation.

This would hugely simplify the system and speed things up.

[William Norton]

During the leadership contest, members rightly assumed they were selecting who would have the No1 and No2 spots in a united team. Our high command has played this exactly right: the scene has been set for DC to wield the knife today (and full marks for the way in which it was planted into Charles Clarke). If Clarke survives this week it can only be because Blair is standing by him - from here all damage on Clarke is damage on Blair.

[Christina]

Patsy,

It's here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/default.stm

[Patsy Sergeant]

Thank you Christina!

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"If Clarke survives this week it can only be because Blair is standing by him - from here all damage on Clarke is damage on Blair."

William - where's this week's movie review? I've been expecting to see 'The Fugitive' (or similar) starring Harrison Ford as the man on the run from the law (enter Lord Levy/Charles Clarke joke here)...

[Richard]

Good to see Cameron is going for the jugular. Agree that his mention of not asking other ministers ro resign over previous incidents emphasises his sincerity and lack of opportunism. This comes across as a genuinely principled position.

[Richard]

I should also add it is good that the news of Prescott's adultery hasn't been allowed to push this issue out of the headlines. Serious though Prescott's behaviour is, this is far more important.

[William Norton]

DVA: William - where's this week's movie review?

Ask the Editor.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

That's spooky - I've only just emailed you both with some suggestions for it!

[Editor]

My fault, my fault! William Norton's work will be posted in about ten minutes...

[Matthew Sinclair]

Editor... perhaps bump Christina's link to the Politics show up to the main post?

[Editor]

Good idea, Matthew. 'Tis done.

[Annabel Herriott]

I've just watched Cameron. I had left a tape running, as my partner was having a surprise 80th bday lunch , I like the quiet way he stands up to these lefty journos. Perhaps even dear Chad will come to appreciate him in time!

[sbjme19]

Having watched most of this programme, I thought it was rather biased. Max Cotton's piece was all about how more trad tories in DC's patch were at odds with him. We had to take this on trust because the only tory interviewed was quite happy with DC!
Then on the London part the interviewer seemed to go particularly for Justine Greening, saying that Wandsworth had changed so much and was so affluent that the council did n't need to provide services and so could keep the council tax low. Later on he suggested that the services were poor. As JG pointed out, the council had a good report from the Audit Commission and there are still areas of deprivation in the borough.

[janetwilkinson]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/default.stm

Another interesting point from this week's P.S. Interview with Tessa Jowell "There will in due course be an election for the leadership of the party" So it would appear that nothing will be handed over to Gordon on a plate

[Chad]

Perhaps even dear Chad will come to appreciate him in time!

:-) There is lots to like about Cameron, I already agree and have said so before.

However, surely only a real "leftie" would propose state funding of political parties?

(plus perhaps support compulsory voting to make sure the income is guaranteed).

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/default.stm

Another interesting point from this week's P.S. Interview with Tessa Jowell "There will in due course be an election for the leadership of the party" So it would appear that nothing will be handed over to Gordon on a plate<<<<
If Tony Blair stands down as Labour Party leader then there is a vacancy for that position and there has to be the opening of nominations for candidates - if Gordon Brown is unapposed then he becomes leader by default, if anyone is nominated then there has to be a vote, on the other hand so far as the appointment of the Prime Minister goes this is up to the Monarch, in fact she can remove and replace the Prime Minister at any time quite legally, if Tony Blair was to stand down as Prime Minister and there be no elected Labour leader to become Prime Minister then the probability is that as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and having the Title of Deputy Prime Minister that John Prescott would be the most likely person to be made Prime Minister because to appoint Gordon Brown would possibly be seen as the Monarch becoming involved in party politics because he had not been chosen by the party with a majority, John Prescott doesn't want to be Prime Minister now anyway and knows he missed his chance when Tony Blair won but I'm sure he would be delighted at the opportunity to be an ex-Prime Minister even if his term in office was only the duration of a Labour Party leadership election.