Second exit a blow for Blair
Both Mr Blunkett and Mr Blair’s spokespeople insist the ex-Work and Pensions Secretary was not fired.
In that case, the question many are asking is: Why not? The suspicion of most is that Mr Blunkett was left with a pearl-handled revolver and inevitably came to his own conclusions.
The habit Mr Blair has of bringing his friends back into government after embarrassing lapses of judgement is already haunting him.
Everybody at Westminster, except the prime minister it seems, could see Mr Blunkett was “damaged goods” even after his resignation from the cabinet as Home Secretary in December. When it became plain that the premier was determined to bring Mr Blunkett back into the cabinet after the May election, some expressed incredulity.
It was made plain then that the prime minister did not think Mr Blunkett had committed all that grave an offence by seeming to speed up a visa application for his lover’s nanny.
Mr Blair yesterday praised Mr Blunkett to the rafters, rather than acknowledging the ex-minister’s own acceptance that he had done something wrong by not seeking appropriate guidance before taking on new jobs after leaving office.
It emerged on Tuesday night that Blunkett was late in officially registering speaking fees totalling up to €29,400.
