Charles Kennedy

Liberal Democrats | Ross Skye & Lochaber

Kennedy: It Is Absurd That David Blunkett Had To Seek Advice, But Not Take It

Following the circumstances of David Blunkett’s resignation, Charles Kennedy challenged the Prime Minister over the operation of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, pointing out that it was “absurd that an ex-minister is obliged to seek advice, but not actually to take that advice.” The Prime Minister conceded that “ministers are expected when they leave office to take the advice of the Independent Advisory Committee, and obviously that has to be made clear- it certainly is very clear now I would say.”

Charles Kennedy also sought assurance from the Prime Minister that the “number 10 machine” would not “seek to impose their will on that Secretary of State where the reform of Incapacity Benefit is concerned?” This follows reports that Mr Blunkett and the Prime Minister disagreed over this issue.

Full text of exchange to follow.

Charles Kennedy: Mr Speaker, on behalf of my honourable and right honourable friends can I very much share the sentiments so properly expressed by the Prime Minister at the beginning as to the loss of life of the British serviceman in Afghanistan over these past few days. Now coming back to the issue of today, what the Prime Minister has been saying about the Ministerial Code of Conduct, does he agree, that it does surely seem rather absurd that an ex-minister is obliged to seek advice, but not actually to take that advice. As a result of this experience is the Prime Minister and with him the Cabinet Secretary, actually urgently addressing that issue?

Prime Minister: Let me be clear if I wasn’t before that ministers are expected when they leave office to take the advice of the Independent Advisory Committee, and obviously that has to be made clear- it certainly is very clear now I would say.

Charles Kennedy: Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister is ignoring the fact that he can seek advice, and then not take advice. Now that is a ridiculous state of affairs for an apparent Ministerial Code of Conduct. But can I ask the Prime Minister a further question. It was well reported recently Mr Speaker, that the now former Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions and the Prime Minster disagreed over incapacity benefit reform. Can we have an assurance, whoever is going to occupy this office of state later today, that the Number 10 machine will not seek to impose their will on that Secretary of State where the reform of Incapacity Benefit is concerned, because that is what people out there actually care about?

Prime Minster: Well, again, when we actually get back to policy let me just tell the Rt Honourable Gentleman, the Liberal Democrats now oppose every single reform, whether in the public service or for welfare, it absurd to say that Incapacity Benefit which is now costing £13bn a year, where we’ve got 3 million people economically inactive in the country, doesn’t need reform. It does need reform, this side has got the courage to do it, and as ever when it comes to a policy decision, the Liberal Democrats lack that courage.