David Laws is back in Government - with two jobs!

3:18pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News

IT has been confirmed that Yeovil MP David Laws is returning to Government as part of Prime Minister David Cameron’s first full Coalition Government reshuffle.

Mr Laws will take on two new roles – firstly as Minister of State for Schools in the Department for Education, and secondly as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, in a cross-policy brief that will involve coordinating and developing policy across Government. The latter will include work for Deputy PM Nick Clegg and alongside Cabinet Office Minister, Oliver Letwin MP.

And Mr Laws said: “I am very pleased to be given this opportunity to serve the Coalition Government and the country in these two roles.

“Education is one of my real passions, and it is an area I know well following my time as Lib Dem Shadow Secretary of State for Schools, between 2007 and 2010.

"It will also be a real challenge and opportunity to be involved in many policy issues through my role in the Cabinet Office.

"We must not underestimate the difficult times people are going through at the moment and I will work hard to put growth, jobs and fairer taxes at the heart of what we do."

Mr Laws added: "I shall be doing these jobs alongside my existing responsibilities as MP for Yeovil Constituency, and I do not intend to cut back in any way on my constituency work.

"I shall continue to hold my regular, local, Advice Centres and will be available for any constituent who needs my help.

"My role as Yeovil Constituency MP is my first responsibility, and I have a brilliant and experienced team of staff in both Yeovil and London to help me with that work.

“I am immensely grateful to all those constituents who have given me their support and encouragement over the past two and half years. I will do all I can to return that confidence.”

Mr Laws arrived at Number 10 Downing Street at just before 2pm today where he was met by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats.

His return to the front-benches comes over two years after he resigned his position from the Coalition Government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury – just days following the 2010 General Election – because of an expenses scandal.

Comments(12)

ChardCentral says...
4:17pm Tue 4 Sep 12

David Laws will remain a controversial MP and will probably be punished with a reduced majority in 2015.
However, he is highly capable and I wish him well in his new ministerial role.

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Chardian says...
5:16pm Tue 4 Sep 12

The expenses scandal was well over two years ago.
Whatever all the rights and wrongs, David Laws has 'served his time' and now we need to move on.

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Dick Turpin Works For Council says...
6:45pm Tue 4 Sep 12

So, just to clarify, benefit fraud IS ok or ISN'T ok?

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dafearnley2 says...
9:05pm Tue 4 Sep 12

Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
So, just to clarify, benefit fraud IS ok or ISN'T ok?
No it still is not ok!!!! i am afraid you will have to keep your benefit fraud hush hush i presume that's why you are asking???

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David Pincombe says...
9:18pm Tue 4 Sep 12

Are all felons well paid while "doing time"?

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ChardCentral says...
10:53pm Tue 4 Sep 12

After the scandal, David Laws quickly lost his highly paid Secretary of State job and repaid the claimed £56,000.
The police decided not to prosecute.
Voters can deliver their own verdict on his conduct at the next General Election.
I suspect he'll survive!

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David Pincombe says...
3:07pm Wed 5 Sep 12

He might have lost his higher salary which went with his Secretary of State job, but surely he has been receiving the standard MPs salary ever since, so it can hardly be said that "he has done his time."

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Ilminster Citizen 1 says...
6:46pm Wed 5 Sep 12

Good to hear that "Dodgy Dave" is back in power. That's OK, after all he only fiddled his expenses to the tune of about £56,000. Let's hope at the next election we are offered some candidates with intergrity.

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Dick Turpin Works For Council says...
10:05am Thu 6 Sep 12

dafearnley2 wrote:
Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
So, just to clarify, benefit fraud IS ok or ISN'T ok?
No it still is not ok!!!! i am afraid you will have to keep your benefit fraud hush hush i presume that's why you are asking???
Silly comment really, dafearnley2.

I only ask because I'm one of the poor s0ds who've funded David Laws benefit fraud.

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dafearnley2 says...
1:34pm Thu 6 Sep 12

Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
dafearnley2 wrote:
Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
So, just to clarify, benefit fraud IS ok or ISN'T ok?
No it still is not ok!!!! i am afraid you will have to keep your benefit fraud hush hush i presume that's why you are asking???
Silly comment really, dafearnley2.

I only ask because I'm one of the poor s0ds who've funded David Laws benefit fraud.
I know its was props a bit of a daft joke

So Dick Turpin works for the council what is your role for the council?

Bin Man , Pencil pusher , Head of finance ? I just wonder as a lot of council workers are a bit of a drain on the tax payer i would not like to think i am one of them poor sods who are paying towards an over paid council worker with the promise of a huge pension when you retire funded by the tax payer who job role does not warrant such things waste of money

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Chard Times says...
7:43pm Thu 6 Sep 12

dafearnley2 wrote:
Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
dafearnley2 wrote:
Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
So, just to clarify, benefit fraud IS ok or ISN'T ok?
No it still is not ok!!!! i am afraid you will have to keep your benefit fraud hush hush i presume that's why you are asking???
Silly comment really, dafearnley2.

I only ask because I'm one of the poor s0ds who've funded David Laws benefit fraud.
I know its was props a bit of a daft joke

So Dick Turpin works for the council what is your role for the council?

Bin Man , Pencil pusher , Head of finance ? I just wonder as a lot of council workers are a bit of a drain on the tax payer i would not like to think i am one of them poor sods who are paying towards an over paid council worker with the promise of a huge pension when you retire funded by the tax payer who job role does not warrant such things waste of money
"I know its was props a bit of a daft joke So Dick Turpin works for the council what is your role for the council? Bin Man , Pencil pusher , Head of finance ? I just wonder as a lot of council workers are a bit of a drain on the tax payer i would not like to think i am one of them poor sods who are paying towards an over paid council worker with the promise of a huge pension when you retire funded by the tax payer who job role does not warrant such things waste of money"

Am I alone in thinking this dafearnley2 is not too bright? I always thought the forum name 'Dick Turpin Works For Council' implied that the user thought that Councillors were a bunch of robbing highwaymen, not that his name was Dick and he worked for the council!! Good grief...

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Dick Turpin Works For Council says...
8:12pm Thu 6 Sep 12

You're quite correct, Chard Times.
I coined the name when our annual rates bill went through the £1300 barrier, or was it £1400, or £1500 PA?

Obviously not too subtle for you, but too subtle for some out there!

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