Now Brown tries to play the great reformer

Published on Tuesday 9 June 2009 22:04

GORDON Brown will press ahead today with plans to make parliament more accountable and transparent, as he seeks to fulfil his pledge to Labour MPs to learn from his mistakes.

The Prime Minister will make a lunchtime statement to the Commons setting out a timetable for reform in the wake of the expenses scandal and threat to his leadership.

This will be followed by a three-hour debate in which the SNP will seek to rally support for a dissolution of parliament.

However, this could backfire on the Nationalists, with Labour MPs likely to use the vote, which will come at 7pm, to publicly declare their new-found faith in Mr Brown's leadership.

His reshuffled Cabinet met for the first time yesterday, with Lord Mandelson, the new "First Secretary" and de facto deputy Prime Minister, sitting opposite Mr Brown. Also present were promoted ministers Alan Johnson (Home Secretary), Andy Burnham (Health Secretary) and Bob Ainsworth (Defence Secretary).

Chancellor Alistair Darling was absent as he was at a meeting of European finance ministers in Luxembourg, while Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband is on paternity leave.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said yesterday the Labour Party had reached a "settled view" on Mr Brown's leadership after his appearance before the party's MPs on Monday night, when he faced down calls to quit.

He dodged the question of whether he had considered following his friend James Purnell, who quit as Work and Pensions Secretary, out of the Cabinet – a move that could have wrecked Mr Brown's chances of survival.

Mr Miliband said Mr Johnson was the "leading contender" to replace Mr Brown but that he was backing the Prime Minister "to the hilt". Asked whether he had flirted with the idea of resignation, he said: "Flirtation is dangerous for married men. I'm not going to get into that."

The Cabinet was followed by the first meeting of the National Democratic Renewal Council, which Mr Brown chairs. This laid the groundwork for his statement today – it will follow Prime Minister's Questions – which will update MPs on the modernisation or parliament. A further Cabinet meeting will follow on Friday, at which ministers will seek to plot Mr Brown's latest fightback by drawing up plans for "a better Britain".

The Prime Minister's spokesman said today's statement was likely to cover a range of issues, some of which would require legislation before they could come into effect, such as the proposal to remove parliament's ability to be self-regulating in terms of MPs' expenses.

He said: "There are a number of issues where we can push forward, for example introducing legislation in relation to the establishment of the Parliamentary Standards Authority, taking forward proposals for a code of conduct for MPs, looking at issues such as how we strengthen the role of select committees, as well as looking at the wider debate around the House of Lords and electoral reform."

Changes to select committees – cross-party groups of MPs that hold ministers to account – are likely to involve the removal of the Prime Minister's ability to choose each committee chairman, thereby reasserting their independence from government.

Reform of the Lords could mean reviving plans for a directly elected second chamber, but any move to replace the first-past-the-post system used for general elections with one of proportional representation is likely to be proposed in a White Paper, effectively kicking the issue into the long grass until well after the next election.

Mr Brown's spokesman said moves to "clean up parliament" and appoint an independent regulator would be prioritised.

In addition, the Prime Minister had asked Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell for advice on the procedures for launching an inquiry into the Iraq war, which Mr Brown promised to hold once UK troops had withdrawn from active combat.

First Minister Alex Salmond, who is still a Westminster MP, is expected to be in the Commons today to vote on the motion – proposed jointly by the SNP and Plaid Cymru – that "this House requests the Prime Minister to seek a dissolution of the present parliament".

When the motion was proposed a fortnight ago, it was regarded as a masterstroke in ramping up the pressure on the Prime Minister, with his government mired in the expenses scandal and MPs facing unprecedented public hostility. But Labour has accused the SNP of an "own goal" after a poll for the BBC's Daily Politics show suggested that two-thirds of Scots wanted Mr Brown to remain in post. However, this survey polled only 86 people in Scotland. Across Britain, 52 per cent of the 1,001 respondents believed Mr Brown had lost authority and should stand down.

Angus Robertson, the SNP's Westminster leader, said the European election results – in which Labour's UK-wide support plunged to less than 16 per cent, putting it in third place behind Ukip – showed the government was operating "without authority or credibility".

He said: "We need a general election so that we can restore trust and confidence in parliament and politicians, and let people have their say. There can be no argument against the entire House of Commons submitting itself to a vote of the people who elected them.

"This political crisis was created by politicians, and the SNP and Plaid Cymru are giving parliament the chance to give the people their say."

But Glasgow South West Labour MP Ian Davidson compared today's SNP motion with the situation in 1979, when the Nationalists helped bring down James Callaghan's government – and then lost all but two of their MPs in the subsequent election.

He said: "The SNP's motion to dissolve parliament is a huge own goal for them. Just like in 1979, the people of Scotland will not accept an attempt by the SNP to bring down a Labour government at Westminster. The people of Scotland will once again punish the SNP for this move.

"The next election will be a two-horse race between Labour and the Tories. The SNP's motion to hold an election now is calculated to put a smile on David Cameron's face. Just like in 1979, what they want is not an election, but a Tory government. It is a huge mistake that will backfire on them massively."

Who's going where

LORD ADONIS Transport Secretary from Minister of State for Transport

PETER HAIN Welsh Secretary from backbench

BOB AINSWORTH Defence Secretary from Armed Forces Minister

YVETTE COOPER Work and Pensions Secretary from Chief secretary to the Treasury

SIR GUS O'DONNELL Cabinet Secretary - civil servant)

GORDON BROWN Prime Minister, no change

JACK STRAW Justice Secretary, no change

HILARY BENN Environment Secretary, no change

TESSA JOWELL Minister for the Cabinet Office, and for the Olympics and Paymaster General from just Olympics Minister

BARONESS JANET ROYALL Leader of the house of Lords, no change

SEAN WOODWARD Northern Ireland Secretary, no change

JIM KNIGHT Employment Minister from Schools Minister

NICK BROWN Chief Whip, no change

JOHN HEALEY Housing Minister from Local Government Minister

JIM MURPHY Scottish Secretary, no change

ANDY BURNHAM Health Secretary from Culture Secretary

HARRIET HARMAN Leader of the House and Deputy Leader, no change

ALAN JOHNSON Home Secretary from Health Secretary

DAVID MILIBAND Foreign Secretary, no change

LORD PETER MANDELSON First Secretary of State and Business Secretary from just Business Secretary

DOUGLAS ALEXANDER International Development Secretary, no change

ED BALLS Children's Secretary, no change

JOHN DENHAM Communities and Local Government Secretary from Innovation, University and Skills Secretary

LIAM BYRNE Chief Secretary to the Treasury from Minister for the Cabinet

PAT MCFADDEN Minister of State for Business from Minister of State for Employment and Postal Affairs

Malik returns after 'the worst three weeks of my life'

SHAHID Malik, who was forced to resign as justice minister after being caught up in the MPs' expenses scandal, returned to the government yesterday after "the worst three weeks of my life".

He was appointed a junior minister in the communities and local government department as Prime Minister Gordon Brown completed the changes to his lower ranks following last week's Cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Malik had faced newspaper allegations that he failed to declare the benefit he received from supposedly being charged below-market rate rent for his constituency home in Dewsbury. But an inquiry by Sir Philip Mawer, the Prime Minister's adviser on ministerial interests, found that the rent paid – which had been reported at less than 100 a week – was "reasonable" and in line with commercial rates.

However, Sir Philip's report will not be published as it is said to contain confidential details of Mr Malik's finances. He reportedly claimed 66,827 over three years for his second home in London at the same time – the highest figure for any MP.

Yesterday, a relieved Mr Malik said that though he never doubted the outcome of the investigation, it had been an "incredibly stressful period". He said: "It was a terrible price for my family to pay. Everyone has been under incredible stress for the last few weeks.

"Sir Philip's clean bill of health will go some way to mending some of the damage to my reputation and healing some of the hurt caused to family and friends."

Mr Malik, the UK's first Muslim minister, was also said to have claimed 2,600 for a home cinema system – of which only half was paid by the Commons fees office – 730 for a "massage chair", and 65 for a court summons for the non-payment of council tax.

Yesterday, he said the 65 had been paid back some time ago – while he had contributed an amount of money "well in excess" of his claims to good causes in his constituency.

He criticised "false allegations" by the Daily Telegraph, which he said led readers to believe he was being investigated for his expenses claims rather than an alleged breach of the ministerial code of conduct. "It took me 15 years to build my name and reputation and tragically it was trashed in one mad media day," he said.

In his two-week inquiry, Sir Philip received evidence from Mr Malik and the Telegraph and commissioned independent valuations on the MP's home and office. Mr Malik said the inquiry concluded he was "paying the market rate" for both his home and his office.

The final stages of the reshuffle brought few surprises. Chris Bryant, previously deputy leader of the Commons, was promoted to become a junior minister at the Foreign Office.

Glenys Kinnock's appointment to the government was confirmed – amid continuing confusion over whether her role as an MEP ended with last week's European elections. She also becomes a Foreign Office minister.

Infamous 'Duck Island' may be sold for charity

THE duck house that came to symbolise the scandal of MPs' expenses is set to be sold off for charity.

Tory grandee Sir Peter Viggers said he was planning to auction the 1,645 floating "duck island" after receiving a dozen requests for the 5ft wooden ornament.

Sir Peter, 71, who will stand down as MP for Gosport at the general election, said: "I've replied to the dozen or so people that have inquired that my wife and I are minded, in due course, to sell the thing for charity. But in the present atmosphere, we are letting the dust settle. We've had a lot of approaches and we aren't committing to this yet."

The "Stockholm duck house" was meant to protect ducks from foxes, but Sir Peter said the birds disliked using it.

There was controversy after he included the cost of the duck house in a 30,000 bill for gardening, including nearly 500 for manure, at his constituency home over three years. However, it was unclear whether the parliamentary authorities ever paid out for the duck house.

Sir Peter is expected to be ordered to repay a substantial sum following an internal Tory party investigation.

Adam Partridge, an auctioneer from BBC TV's Bargain Hunt, said: "This is the notorious duck house and could get thousands and thousands.

"I've not auctioned off anything like this before; it's really tricky to say how much it could go for, but it may be a lot.

"Someone may want it so in years to come they can say, 'this is the famous duck house from the 2009 scandal'."

Hurdles remain between Brown and election day

GORDON Brown may have survived a second major revolt in two years as Prime Minister, but he faces further potential hurdles in the run up to the general election.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband yesterday insisted the Labour Party had reached a "settled view" on Mr Brown as leader.

However, rebels could repeat last year's attempted coup around the time of the Labour party conference in the autumn.

The leader's speech is the set-piece event of the week and MPs and activists will demand Mr Brown shows a vision of how he will prevent a Conservative victory in the general election, which must be held by June next year.

The other threat to Mr Brown comes in the shape of by-elections. Two are already due to be held – in Glasgow and Norwich as a result of the resignations of Speaker Michael Martin and Ian Gibson MP. A Labour failure to win either seat could reignite calls for Mr Brown to go.