British Cabinet Minister resigns after being ‘outed’.

[zach]

Interested to hear any views on the resignation yesterday of the Cabinet Minister David Laws. He’d only served in David Cameron’s new coalition government a couple of weeks before being revealed as being gay and becoming involved in the controversy of parliamentary expenses.

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Basically, he’d claimed £40,000 in expenses to pay his partner James Lundie rent. Although they’d been in a relationship since 2001 he said he didn’t regard Mr Lundie as his partner because they had separate social lives and separate bank accounts.

Personally, having met Mr Laws through work a few years ago, my impression of him was that he was a thoroughly honourable man. I think it’s a shame for him personally and for the new government that he felt he had to resign.

[smallsleepyrascalcat]

I think it's sad that being gay is something that can be "revealed".

[Integritas0]

Look, basically he is a thief who STOLE money from taxpayers. That he is gay had NOTHING to do with his resignation. He is just yet another politician to be caught STEALING. Everything does not revolve around sex!

[zach]

Though he may have misrepresented his personal arrangements, he wasn’t stealing. In truth, if he’d been open about his relationship with Mr Lundie he would have rightfully been entitled to more money than he actually claimed. Rather than dishonesty, his motivation was really a desire to protect his privacy and hide his homosexuality.

[xman101]

This has nothing to do with his sexuality at all.

I have no doubt he was honourable and it is a great shame this happened, but hopefully he will return to this or another high position once it's all blown over. It would have been completely impossible for him to stay in his post doing the job he was doing after this.

I respect his desire for privacy but nobody can go into public life and really expect it to remain totally that way in this day & age.

[Integritas0]

40,000 in expenses! Come on guys, that is triple what some families have to live on for a year! I still say it was a fiddle... and as for the idea that he is all emotionally upset over being 'outed', that is rubbish because for him to have climbed the political ladder he is clearly made of tougher stuff --there is more than a little ruthlessless in him. He much get out of the spotlight asap becuase god knows what else he is hiding. 40,000!

[smallsleepyrascalcat]

I don't deny that he's a thief, but what do you expect? He's a politician.

I just have a problem with the word "revealed".

[Integritas0]

As you are 100% right rascalcat... but the problem here is that the average gay man tries to empathise with or get into this guy's mind. This is impossible. He is a savvy, ruthless, greedy, egotistical and successful career politician. For a person like this, there are no limits and no boundaries.

This reminds me of a comedy clip I saw on TV ages ago... basically a gay serial killer is walking out of court with his lawyer, and the press rush up to him with all their usual hype and questions... looking for the 'exclusive'. As they rush up we overhead one of the journalists shouting: "there he is! That's the gay serial killer!!!" Well by now the serial killer has moved away from the press towards a waiting black car, he stops dead upon hearing this journalist say "the gay serial killer", rolls his eyes to heaven, twirls around on his heal and gives the press a look: "Excuse me, but I just really have to make a comment here... I'm serial killer who happens to be gay!"

So it is like this now: "I'm a corrupt, self serving, career politician who happens to be gay!"

We are perhaps too quick to be sympathetic (or to even imagine that we can empathise!), to see this guy as the victim... as a society we really need to toughen up. This applies to straights and gays, little old ladies and teens... it is time to see past the diversionary slants, spins, stories... to the heart of a political controversy. Why do we always look to the side-issue, who such and such is dating, do they have nice shoes, are they sexy, pretty, friendly (in appearance)... so we do all this and end us basing everything on sentiment and emotions.

This guy has resigned? Ahhh... how sad... how unfortunate? Buggery bollox! He goes to JAIL!!! Like the rest of us. But the reality: he wears a three thousand euro suit, has two houses, a mercedes (or has his eye on one), will resign, and then quietly be promoted into some better paying job in Europe for 'past favours'.

[Fiddy]

I'd tend to agree with that. His sexuality is utterly irrelevant. It's no less thieving for the sex of his partner. And like the rest of them, nothing will come of this, I expect. ¬_¬

[razman3000]

What he did was wrong and stupid but I don't think he should have resigned. He isn't "a corrupt, self serving, career politician" as you claim. He did something very stupid and now his career has gone because of it.

On a simplistic basic level, he claimed money for which he was not entailed. For that he should have to return the money, apologise and be punished by the parliamentary standards authority. But to say that he should resign is to hold him to a higher standard then other politicians.

Unlike every other politician he didn't do it to personally profit from it. (the fact that by listing James Lundie as his partner he would have been able to claim his house as his second home and get more money proves this). He did it because he wanted to keep a private matter private. Take Alistair Darling, he flipped his second home 3 times in order to renovate properties then sell them on at a higher price and avoid capital gains tax, he also hired and accountant to do his personal finances which was paid for by the public. He didn't have to resign over that, why? surly that's worse he did it with and intent to profit from it unlike Mr Laws.

I am in no way condoning what he did but I do not think that it helps anyone, least of all the public, to punish a decent person and a hard working parliamentarian more than he deserves.

[Integritas0]

"the parliamentary standards authority"

versus

"the rules the rest of us have to follow"

i.e. if you or I break even the smallest rule, or forget to cross one t on a tax-return we are potentially RUINED, brought to the point of nervous breakdown by tax-men, greedy lawyers, uncaring politicians, cynical police, NGO's and corporations looking to get a slice of the action, etc. etc. etc. Oh but when this fine upstanding politician fucks up it is the "the parliamentary standards authority". One rule for them and another for us! Look guys, ALL of our mainstream politicians subscribe to corrupt political parties (and party whips), they are ALL well looked after for doing so. Who here lives in a country that is not a sinking ship as a result of it all? How many families in YOUR country have been evicted from their homes by bankers who themselves are getting massive bailouts, funded by the same ordinary folks they are putting the squeeze on and even kicking out on the streets!

I know how easy it is to focus on the gay element of this story, but in Ireland the previous Prime Minister was basically a thief. He would go into court and say things like 'I forget having that 50,000 euro', or 'my partner looked after all that', and at one point he even broke down crying on national television!

But they were crocodile tears. Right now he swans around in nice cars, flies all over the world, is still raking in millions, gets top jobs all over the world... in other words we fell for it!

Tony Blair has personally made £20,000,000 between 2007 (since leaving office) and 2009! And this is supposed to be a Labour guy! A man of the working classes? £20,000,000! And people are still finding reasons to adore him!

Stop buying into the political spin, the seductive rhetoric and image-making and see these expense-claiming politicians for what they are --sociopaths.

Characteristics of the sociopath:

Glibness/Superficial Charm
Manipulative and Conning
Grandiose Sense of Self
Pathological Lying
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
Shallow Emotions
Incapacity for Love
Need for Stimulation
Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Narcissism, grandiosity (self-importance not based on achievements)
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

Very few sociopaths display all of these traits, but I think it is a nice little overview to bear in mind next time a politician in his lovely 1500 euro suit and 200 euro tie... brinks a tear to your eye (and two to his own!).

These are the people who rule over us. These are the 'leaders' who can bought and sold. But we think up every excuse, diversion and notion to try and see leaders/'experts' as loving, empathetic, 'of the people... for the people' super-heros. Daddies who will look after us and keep us safe!

[Integritas0]

Oh and just in case anyone thinks the above analysis in terms of sociopathy 'goes too far', believe you me sweeties, it does not go far enough! See:

'Serial killers and politicians share traits'
Examiner
June 12, 2009
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Hmmm, and I wonder what the next generation of leaders will be like. Better? Funkier? Think again:

Today's College Students Lack Empathy
Yahoo! News
May 28, 2010
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[PeterMiguel]

I'm astonished at the way this discussion goes. Is it just normal in common sense to use the state as a self-service shop? It doesn't matter being gay - nobody should streetwisely take taxes to increase his asset. But as we are gay we know we had to be the ideal.
What he did was simply stupid and to resign should be the way such stories go.
I wondering being gay is a scandal for Bristish politicians. Berlin's major started his election campaign saying "I'm gay and that's as well as good." The german minster of foreign affairs is companied by his boyfriend abroad.

[Integritas0]

Oh Totally Peter, it's no big deal in Many western or westernised countries --the UK is no exception. In Ireland (a VERY conservative/Catholic country) one of our senators, David Norris, has been openly gay and a gay rights campaigner for decades now. Currently he is quite confident about running for president...

In the case of British cabinet minister, well he is just latching onto the 'gay angel' to divert attention from his sneaky/secretive/ruthless politically driven personality. How sad (and what a betrayal to the gay community) that he would use this kind of tactic. I am sure if he thought he could get away with it he would go to a tanning salon and say 'oh I a black now so it's okay to steal!' Politicians latch onto and USE political correctness... that's why it's called POLITICAL correctness!