What have you let yourself in for Mr Hain

I didn't watch question time this week but this is a classic as Peter Hain on his return to Cabinet may be wondering whta he has let himself in for.

The question comes from an LDV worker




Ht-Steven Green

Is Hain making a leadership bid?

Former Cabinet minister Peter Hain's comments in the Independent on Sunday will be no doubt seen as further evidence of a growing movement within the party to replace Gordon Brown in the run up to next year's election.

Under the headline,Gordon, you are without a narrative,Hain says that

because Cameron's Tories do not actually offer the progressive change

there s still an opportunity for the Labour party to set the agenda however there is a problem

Despite Gordon Brown's best efforts, Labour has not had a clear enough narrative right across government. Ministers have developed a habit of making technocratic speeches where the very purpose of Labour gets lost

The article does not directly criticize Brown but the intention is surely laid bare.So is Hain suggesting that he is the beacon to carry the party to 2010 and beyond

Hain guilty

So Peter Hain was guilty all along.

The man who was in the running for the Labour deputy leadership who massively overspent on his campaign and was forced to resign from the cabinet was after all guilty of "serious and substantial" failures in not registering donations to his Labour deputy leadership campaign.

You can read the full report of the standards committee HERE

But of course he was gulity only in the eyes of the Commons,the police having decided last month that they would be taking no further action over the £103,000

Hain will be making a full apology on the floor of the Commons

Hain hits the literature trail

Peter Hain,remember him, is writing a book.It is a biography of Nelson Mandela and he has secured an advance of £5000.

Hain,who was forced to resign earlier this year due to irregularities over funding for his Labour deputy leader campaign,came to prominence in the 60's and early 70's over his opposition to South Africa's apartheid government.

BBC news reports

There are lots of books about him but they are all long and learned," said Mr Hain. "I have been asked to write a shorter, popular book."

adding

I knew him through my actions against apartheid. I also worked with him as Africa minister