I think its a position that many of us would often love to be in. To be able to say "bugger off I quit" just before the boss says "you're fired". As others have said though, who is behind the leaking of the news that Jacqui Smith will quit as Home Secretary on Friday? Who gains?
Arguably, I reckon Jacqui Smith could actually gain from this. Specifcially she is already facing questions over her expenses. Some MPs have had to say they will quit Parliament, Smith, being one more rung up the ladder, has the luxury of quitting her position and appearing to take some sort of punishment for her behaviour.
Could it be that there is a hope that "Smith quits as Home Secretary" is a big enough story to stop people murmuring the possibility of "Smith to quit as MP"? Especially when you add in the expected "arse kicking" for Brown on Thursday and the furore that might surround it.
Has Smith just tried to spike a story that could lead to her total political downfall by creating a story that just takes her back down the ladder one rung? She's bound to lose the seat anyway, but better to do it with the pressure off you on expenses by falling on your sword in other areas maybe?
5 comments:
I still think all these MPs who announce they are quitting at the next election, and are proved to have fiddled the expenses system, should be made to stand down immediately and a by-election called.
Crooked MPs have to go now and be prosecuted.
Nothing less will appease me.
"Nothing less will appease me."
Bless.
Come The Reckoning, she's toast (sub 3000 majority), and would be even if her hubby paid for his own pay per view grot.
Good article. I think that MPs are using 'quitting' as an escape route, and so they are able to excuse themselves from the mess they've caused and still look like they have paid for their ill-decisions.
Perhaps she had a look in this week's local rag and saw there were no vacancies for dinner ladies - so stepping down to the back benches was the lesser of the two evils.
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