Home Office fiasco shows up Labour's attitude to government

9.46.48am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 1st May 2006

Charles Clarke should have spent less time on expensive gimmicks and constant new "initiatives" and more time on the humdrum business of running his department.

Peter Chapman, Liberal Democrat campaigner in the Beaconsfield constituency, said "Think of all the time Charles Clarke has spent defending the complicated and expensive ID card scheme against criticisms from Lib Dem MPs and peers. Think of all the time he has spent on authoritarian measures, such as Control Orders and increased police powers of detention.

"Then wonder if his time would not have better spent checking the size of the backlog of work in his own Immigration and Nationality Directorate or the procedures in place to register and track foreign nationals in his own Prison Service.

"Labour came to power thinking that running a government was a marketing exercise and they still have not learnt that efficient government means rolling up your sleeves and doing hard work which does not always generate sound bites and catchy newspaper headlines.

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Clegg MP

"Charles Clarke should be forced out so that other ministers get that message loud and clear - you've got to get the basics right, you've got to be on top of what is happening in your department, you've got to stop thinking that new legislation will solve problems if the department is not working efficiently to start with."

Related Link:

Click here to read Nick Clegg's letter to Charles Clarke.