Why is it that no-one is asking the main question in this David Blunkett affair? There have been a few occasions where such cases have come to light and one feels that a question which should really get under the skin of the issue is not being asked. Whilst I can conceive of many of the current crop of journalists being too incompetent to think up a seriously probing interrogation there are others of whom this is definitely not the case. I am yet to figure out whether the interviewee is avoiding the interviewers that might do so or whether there is a more sinister motive behind it.

There is much speculation as to whether Blunkett has made mistakes or broken ministerial guidelines. Apparently one of Blunkett’s defence points is that he was under the impression that the Ministerial code that requires the informing of an advisory committee of any business interests was a voluntary one rather than a compulsory one. Well the first thing I would like to know is why Blunkett felt that a voluntary code of conduct was not something that he, a Cabinet Minister, ought to sign up to? Is someone who only chooses to make his affairs transparent when forced really the sort of person one wishes to have in Government?

But this is not the critical point, namely that is it not rather coincidental that Blunkett has shown to be involved with this particular company. The company DNA Bioscience, one that Blunkett himself was a director of for 2 weeks in between the General Election and his appointment to Work and Pensions Secretary, is potentially in the running for a contract with the Child Support Agency, an organisation which comes under Blunkett’s present remit as Work and Pensions Secretary. It is also surely worth investigation that the former Home Secretary, a man who has spearheaded the scheme of compulsory biometric ID cards, took up a directorship not to mention £15,000 worth of shares in a company that could well be in the running for such tasks as Biometrics. The fact that he has intimate knowledge of Government policy in this area, and now knowledge from within the company itself means that having purchased these shares must be in serious risk of the accusation of insider trading.

Under the last Tory government we were used to allegations and many corroberations thereof of sleaze and questionable and dishonest conduct. This was supposed to stop under the present government and Blair implied that it was a priority for him. To take only the examples of Peter Mandelson and David Blunkett it seems that if you are alleged to have been involved in corruption, you need only step down for a short period of time before being welcomed back into the fold. Judging by the current precedent it is only a matter of time before Blunkett ends up being offered a post at the European Commission.

I find Blunkett’s supposition that somehow this matter is all part of a campaign from the right to hound him out of office rather insulting, firstly it rather presupposes that he is somehw to the left of many of the people he considers “on the right” a fact which is highly questionable. Additionally it supposes that those of us on the left would not have an interest in preserving an independent, non-corrupt and transparent government and ministers thereof. As it happens I dislike Blunkett, he appears to have much of the same arrogance as Prescott, an ill-conceived belief that just because he used to claim to represent the left he still has a God-given right to demand that support and respect. Blunkett’s record in office is repressive, reactionary and draconian and would please the most right-wing of conservatives.

Blunkett’s resignation does not close this issue, Tony Blair has almost staked his reputation on first the return of Peter Mandelson and secondly that of David Blunkett. At the very least this must call into question Blair’s ability to recognise good character. After all one only need look at the friends Blair has made abroad to feel further discontent on this score.

Song Of The Day ~ KT Tunstall – Dark Water

Original Comments:


john made this comment,
I think that you are dead right about David booking a seat on the Euro gravy-train. I hear that he has already had his dog vaccinated against rabies. 🙂
-Redbaron responds – Which is just as well on the more mutt really since I’ve been saying for a while that Blunkett is rabid!-

comment added :: 4th November 2005, 16:41 GMT+01 :: http://bigjohn.blog-city.com/