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UK: Another view
The Telegraph
Tuesday 30 Nov 1999 Another view In a new wave of shock confessions by members of the Cabinet yesterday, Ruth Kelly admitted that she had once experimented with dropping litter, Alan Johnson revealed that, in his youth, he had told an untruth about chewing gum, and Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, acknowledged that on two occasions he had giggled inappropriately at school assembly, but hadn't enjoyed it. This extraordinary soul-baring follows the admissions by several Cabinet members that they smoked cannabis as students. This is seen as a success. One of the exciting changes instituted by Mr Brown is to have regular sessions at which ministers confess to youthful misdemeanours. This will show that they are human and will be part of the Prime Minister's Humility Programme. Meanwhile, at Westminster, women MPs are rallying round the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, who let it be known this week that, as a fourth-former, she was in detention on a couple occasions. Yesterday, she was given a hug by a visibly moved Harriet Harman, who is now quite open about the fact that she forgot to clean out the hutch of her pet rabbit. Government sources suggest that Jacqui Smith is likely to keep her job. It is pointed out that her detention experience has made her even more committed to prison reform. Ruth Kelly has said that she wishes she could get back those toffee papers she chucked on the ground, but at least it has made her feel more deeply about the environment. Health Secretary Alan Johnson held a press conference and said he would not recommend anyone to do what he had done and tell an untruth about chewing gum, but it had made him more determined that all the statistics he issued about the improved performance of the NHS would be accurate. The repercussions of "Moustachegate" still rumble on. Peter Hain, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has asked the media to leave him and his family in peace following his confession that he grew a moustache when he was 20. He refused to divulge the nature of the moustache and deplored the unwarranted intrusion of reporters. His office would not comment on whether it was the pencil-type, brigadier-bushy, or Zapata. Speaking in Mr Hain's defence, Geoff Hoon (who also has some kind of job in the Government) said: "I think it shows he is a more rounded sort of person than many suspected." A statement from Mr Hain said: "I see my moustache as a tribute to a number of principled socialists who struggled to grow moustaches in the past. By shaving it off, I was exercising my choice to have a smooth upper lip and this was an expression of my support for New Labour's commitment to freedom of choice. I believe there is nothing wrong with moustaches, provided they are grown responsibly." Lawyers for Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, said last night: "While not admitting to any wrongdoing as such, Mr Browne acknowledges that, in certain circumstances, it might be considered by some people that, up to the age of eight, he did not worry sufficiently about climate change. If that impression were to be correct - and this is not conceded - he would reply that he is making up for this by worrying a little extra about climate change now." No immediate damage appears to have been done to the career of Ed Balls, the Children's Minister, since he "came out" on BBC TV's Question Time recently. On this occasion he admitted that he had sometimes been wildly irresponsible in his youth, once walking out of a seminar 10 minutes before the end. Shocked viewers jammed the BBC switchboard afterwards and a spokesman was forced to explain that Mr Balls left that seminar early only in order to be in time for another, even duller, seminar. Downing Street sources indicated that the Prime Minister was not bothered about Ed Balls's Bohemian past. This is seen as another example Gordon Brown's relaxed, broad-minded style of government. http://www.telegraph.co.uk
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