Expense greed of a flawed MP

It is a subtle difference indicative of the difficulties still facing some public figures as they come to terms with their sexuality, but it still does not excuse this millionaire Lib Dem who was Treasury chief secretary for a shortlived 17 days.

Yet, instead of making no claims and, therefore, protecting his partner’s identity, Mr Laws claimed £56,592 over three years – even though he had sufficient personal wealth to cover his living costs. He has now been found guilty, and deservedly so, of a “series of rule breaches”, and for misleading Parliament about his relationship.

Mr Laws is fortunate that he has only been suspended from the Commons for seven days. Many people will contend that he should leave Parliament altogether.

Even though he is a gifted banker and politician who helped craft the coalition agreement between the Lib Dems and Tories, and whose downfall left the Treasury considerably weaker as it attempts to reduce the budget deficit to a more manageable level, there must be no prospect of Mr Laws returning to the Government in the near future.

The reason is clear. This is a politician, who in the best traditions of Lib Dem electioneering, told his voters last year that his expenses had been cleared – and then rubbished the amounts claimed by neighbouring Tory MPs. At the very least, Mr Laws should remain on the backbenches until he has attempted to secure a fresh mandate from his Yeovil constituents, who deserve their say.

In the meantime, the Lib Dems need to consider whether they were right to embrace Mr Laws, and play down his financial indiscretions, rather than suspend him from their party.

They may need every possible support following a bruising set of election results – but Nick Clegg did promise “a new politics” following the expenses scandal, and his party’s decision to downplay the ex-Minister’s greed is hardly indicative of this.