ASHDOWN “RIGHT TO REJECT GOVERNMENT JOB”

 21-06-2007

Birmingham Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has said that his former party leader Paddy Ashdown was right to turn down Gordon Brown’s offer of a post in the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary.

To say that Brown’s move has taken Westminster by surprise is a massive understatement.

It’s emerged that he’d been engaged in secret talks with the current Lib Dem head honcho Ming Campbell about developing a consensus between the parties – but when Campbell rejected any formal link, Brown approached Ashdown anyway and offered him the post.

Yardley MP Hemming who had dinner with Ashdown this week said he didn’t believe in members of opposition parties getting involved with government.

"Our electoral process doesn't really support coalition government" he said.

"I'm all for working with members of other parties and I work with Labour MP's, Conservatives, and members of Plaid Cymru, but I think the cabinet shouldn't have people in it from other parties.

"He should have turned down the offer and I'm glad he did."

Hemming’s argument is that while coalition works well at a local (eg the “progressive partnership between Lib Dems and Tories in Birmingham) at national level, it restricts parliament carrying out its proper job of keeping a check on the executive.

Curiously, perhaps, he didn’t rule out the possibility of people from outside parliament being drafted in to join the government.

Is Hemming right – or should Paddy Ashdown have accepted the job? Is working together the way forward. Leave a comment on our Message Board.