Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Arden Forester
Another bumbling aspect of the reshuffle was the appointment of Glenys Kinnock as Europe Minister. A keen gravy train rider, some wheeltapper has momentarily knocked the stuffing out of her appointment. It has emerged that she could not do the job because she is still an MEP. Under EU Parliament rules, Mrs Kinnock is not allowed to serve as a minister in a national Government until she steps down as an MEP on July 14. Did she forget about this when she chatted to Gordon about replacing the expletive-deleted Ms Flint?Mrs Kinnock, or more properly Lady Kinnock as her husband is a peer of the realm, is keen as mustard when it comes to receiving taxpayers' money. There has been speculation in Westminster that Mrs Kinnock was reluctant to quit her job as an MEP as she would have to forgo some of her gold-plated pension and golden-goodbye.
Lord Kinnock has in his own right been the head of the British Council. He quit last night. Ever a man to use ten words when one will do, he ran off a missive explaining his reasons why he could not continue "without risking the possibility of perceptions, at home or abroad, that the essential operational independence of the Council could be compromised because I am the husband of a minister in the FCO, the sponsoring department of the Council". This is a minute snippet of the letter!
The Kinnocks have never been outside the world of trade union or taxpayer-funded employment. Theirs is a world of political initiatives and expense-funded gatherings. It was little wonder the Sun took against Kinnock as a possible prime minister.
Now Lady Kinnock the wife is to become Baroness Kinnock. One thing the House of Lords does is knock the cockiness out of the political elite. She will have to be very transparent there. So I am pleased the Europe Minister is not in the Commons. Their lordships will not allow her much time to waffle and whine. And she will have two UKIP peers to lob her questions and to dissect her hyperbole. Can't wait!
