As I have noted in a previous post, I have known Peter Hain since we were both Young Liberals many, many years ago. From that knowledge I can't accept claims made by some that Peter is some sort of a "sleazy crook". However my faith in the man's integrity cannot hide the FACT, that Peter has failed to declare large donations to his campaign that he should have declared according to law.
In fairness to Peter, he has admitted that the way that the financial affairs of his deputy leadership campaign was handled was a bloody mess, he is doing his best to sort the mess out and he has accepted that he is ultimately responsible for the situation by not keeping a closer eye on what was happening.
If anything is going to save Peter's skin it will be the openness and honesty he has shown to the authorities and the general public about the shambles he has found found himself in. What is likely to condemn Peter is friends, like Paul Flynn MP, trying to excuse and cover up the shambles, and trying to hide Mr Hain's mess by pointing the finger at others.
Showing posts with label Sleeze. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sleeze. Show all posts
15/01/2008
01/12/2007
Brown Doomed
It's not name dropping or pretending that we are bosom pals, but I have been a nodding acquaintance of Peter Hain's for over 30 years, since we were both members of the Young Liberals in the 1970s. (When my sister had a poster of Donny Osmond on her bedroom wall I had a poster of Peter Hain on mine !!!! )
Political differences apart, Peter has always stuck me as a genuinely honest person. Since he was fitted up on a false charge of robbing a bank Peter has known that you don't just need to be honest in public life, but you have to be able to prove that you are honest too. Therefore, if Peter Hain says that not registering a donation to his deputy leadership campaign was a genuine oversight caused by an administrative error then I believe him 150% without any margin for doubt.
I have never met Paul Flynn MP, and I have never had any dealings with him. However, from what I have seen of him on TV, heard of him on the radio, read about him in the press and read by him on his blog, he has always struck me as a genuine sort of man who tends to put truth, conviction and his constituents before petty party political point scoring.
The downfall of the Conservative party in the late 1990's came about when those who we had always suspected of being smarmy, dirty dealing bastards were caught out. The fact that, now, the good guys like Hain are caught in the cross fire of sleaze accusations and solid blokes like Flynn feel the need to spin the truth, make me feel that Gordon Brown's premiership is in a much, much more disastrous position now than John Major's ever was.
Political differences apart, Peter has always stuck me as a genuinely honest person. Since he was fitted up on a false charge of robbing a bank Peter has known that you don't just need to be honest in public life, but you have to be able to prove that you are honest too. Therefore, if Peter Hain says that not registering a donation to his deputy leadership campaign was a genuine oversight caused by an administrative error then I believe him 150% without any margin for doubt.
I have never met Paul Flynn MP, and I have never had any dealings with him. However, from what I have seen of him on TV, heard of him on the radio, read about him in the press and read by him on his blog, he has always struck me as a genuine sort of man who tends to put truth, conviction and his constituents before petty party political point scoring.
The downfall of the Conservative party in the late 1990's came about when those who we had always suspected of being smarmy, dirty dealing bastards were caught out. The fact that, now, the good guys like Hain are caught in the cross fire of sleaze accusations and solid blokes like Flynn feel the need to spin the truth, make me feel that Gordon Brown's premiership is in a much, much more disastrous position now than John Major's ever was.
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