Very Judgmental of me, I know, but I am not one of those who desire that David Blunkett return to front-line politics very soon, or indeed ever. I am sick and tired of hearing people say that 'for a blind man' he has done well to get so far. Well, perhaps he has - okay, I am being curmudgeonly, he has done superbly well, alright?
However, his status as a blind man does not merit any allowance, so far as I am concerned, for being one of the most illiberal Home Secretaries ever to run that department. The fact that someone in this very powerful position not only seeks to impose the power of the state even more forcefully onto the lives of the rest of us, but then proceeds to steal from us by using rail tickets issued to him as an MP for purposes not authorised is completely unacceptable. Paying the money back only mitigates the offence, it does not negate it; whilst saying 'sorry' is welcome, he still needs to face the consequences of his actions, as any other public official would have to.
The only people I feel sorry for in this whole situation are the already born child and the soon to be born child, who certainly don't deserve to have the parents (whoever they are, exactly) fate has given them. I also have some sympathy with the nanny, who has been the unwitting, I imagine, pawn in this unppleasant confrontation between Blunkett and Quinn/Fortier.
The idea that Blunkett should be allowed anywhere near a position where he can have an effect on my life, ever again, appals me. It is no secret that I abhor most of what the Labour Party stands for, so I am not exactly neutral, but his early return would really be a nonsense. Would you really want Cecil Parkinson (for non-British readers, a former Minister in Margaret Thatcher’s administration) back in your government?
UPDATE: (Tuesday 21DEC04 13.40 GMT) The Budd Report on Daivid Blunkett is now out - the nanny's visa was speeded up. So much for 'integrity', Blunkett's earlier protestations of complete innocence notwithstanding; of course he is sorry, now that he has been found out. This is the typical reaction of a bully and a cheat when cornered by the truth. 'nuff sed.
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