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Cabinet rivalries led to Brown's defeat over Gurkhas, claims Keith Vaz
Nicholas Cecil6 May 2009
Cabinet infighting was today blamed for the Government's humiliating defeat over the Gurkhas.
Fresh concern that government discipline is falling apart was raised by claims that a clash between Jacqui Smith and John Hutton unwittingly allowed the Gurkha row to spiral into a full-blown fiasco.
The finger of blame was pointed by former minister Keith Vaz, now chairman of the all-party home affairs committee, as Labour MPs grow increasingly worried that Gordon Brown's authority is being weakened by a series of blunders and defeats.
"I felt that the whole issue was mishandled," Mr Vaz wrote in an article for the Blairite think tank Progress.
"Whatever in-fighting occurred between the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence caused chaos which resulted in the Government being defeated."
He accused Home Secretary Ms Smith of failing to deal properly with the row over settlement rights for the former soldiers.
But Labour MPs who rebelled against the Government have also accused Defence Secretary Mr Hutton and Chancellor Alistair Darling of resisting moves by the Home Office to draw up more lenient settlement regulations for former Gurkhas, a claim denied by the Treasury. Ms Smith's allies also say that she warned Chief Whip Nick Brown that the Government was heading for defeat. Mr Vaz, who backed the Liberal Democrats last week in a Commons showdown on the issue, insisted it was "not a vote against Gordon Brown" but for a change of policy to give the ex-soldiers justice.
He said that he wrote to the Home Secretary last November, arguing that all former Gurkhas should be allowed to settle in the UK, but only received a reply on 24 April when the Government's new policy restricting such rights was announced.
"This issue should have been much higher on the Home Office priority list given the public and parliamentary concern," he added.
Ms Smith and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, who criticised an appearance by the Prime Minister on YouTube, are facing demotion in a reshuffle expected after the 4 June European and local elections.
Labour is set to suffer painful losses at the polls, with one expert predicting a fall of 150 in its number of town hall seats.
A source close to the Home Secretary branded the talk of her being moved from her current post as "Westminster tittle tattle", adding: "It's a decision for the Prime Minister. She is getting on with the job. All sorts of rumours go around. It's not long ago that Jacqui was being tipped as the next leader."
Downing Street sources today said that the Prime Minister had "full confidence" in Ms Smith and Ms Blears.
Reader views (17)
I remember Vaz from his times 35 years ago as a prospective parlimentary candidate in Richmond, West London, he was legendary even then for being 'just out for himself'... and now look where the little worm has ended up... watch out for him, he cares for nothing but Keith Vaz.
- Alex, London, England, 07/05/2009 00:11
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This dodgy Yemeni character Vaz is about as significant as a dead rat.
- Felicity, london, 06/05/2009 23:13
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Vaz unrivalled in his skill at exploiting the ethnic vote and sucking on the public teat. Indians in Leicester must like to see their heroes; wealthy, condescending, well fed and plump. He delivers the ethnic vote in Leicester and the Labour leaders make sure he is on enough paid appointments to keep him sweet. It would be very interesting to see how much the Vaz family have cost the country over the years in their selfless desire simply to serve and make things better for us all.
- Sid, london, 06/05/2009 21:18
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Keith Vaz(born 1956 in Yemen) is a living testament to how foreigners can end up contributing so much to British society. Not.
- Paul, London, 06/05/2009 15:24
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It was worrying to see Brown evading a direct request for the will of the Commons to be immediately respected in PMQs today and trotting out his proud record on the treatment of the Ghurkas.The weasel Woolas was also sidestepping the point on the Political Show claiming that the Govt.had a point and policy rather than acknowledging they had been on the wrong side of "fair play".
- P Doff, paris france, 06/05/2009 14:54
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nobody cares what you think Vaz.
- Squiz, Islington, 06/05/2009 14:32
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If Keith Vaz says something it must be true.
- Tim Rickard, London, 06/05/2009 14:19
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Why is it that the Gurkhas, who might actually contribute something to this country, are not allowed in? People who have no interest in making a contribution to our society and, indeed in some cases, want to destroy it, are allowed in!
- Chris, Brighton, England, 06/05/2009 13:11
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In-fighting and cabinet rivalries are irrelevant. The fact is that the Gurkahs should be allowed to settle, and the bulk of the country agrees. The stance taken by the PM was morally wrong. The argument about cost is a red herring - since Labour came to power we have had how many million immigrants?(that we know about and many more beside). Also if cost we an issue, could Ms Smith explain why so few illegal immigrants have been deported???
I think this says a good deal about the attitude of this government to the armed forces.
- Jermey E, home counties, 06/05/2009 12:28
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It is a clear indication of how flawed Gordon Brown's character is if he has confidence in Smith and Blears.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 06/05/2009 11:43
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Cabinet Ministers are far too busy scratching each other's eyes out and climbing over each other's backs to bother about Joe Public.
MP's have NO INTEREST in the electorate.
They are far too busy grabbing whatever freebies are on offer in the House of Conmen and in the House of Lords to concern themselves with anything else.
The problem is that this stinking Labour Government believes that it can walk right over everything and everybody in its crazed mandate to turn the UK into a glorified police state.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK, 06/05/2009 11:06
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Fighting over the backhanders no doubt.
- Mike Mines, london, 06/05/2009 10:51
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I think it was cock up rather than conspiracy. They got confused between the pre 1997 Gurkha terms of service which limited non-commissioned ranks to 15 years service with the post (British Army) terms of service which allows soldiers to serve for 21 years. Some junior pen pusher clearly thought that the 21 years applied before 1997 and therefore suggested 20 years as the qualifying period. Always check your facts was my watchword when I served in MoD.
- Peter Haldane, London, 06/05/2009 10:38
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This must surely be the shabbiest and least attractive bunch of cabinet ministers we've ever had. In-fighting and spin take precedence over sorting out the mess we're in, due to their incompetence and mismanagement. I guess their main focus now is to line their pockets even further, in the knowledge that they'll be booted out at the next opportunity which, for the sake of the country, can't come soon enough.
- John, Richmond, UK, 06/05/2009 10:32
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And it was nothing to do with ordinary MP's responding to their constituents wishes? - Still it would have been interesting to see the result if it had been a binding motion!
- Jim, London, 06/05/2009 10:12
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Prime Minister had "full confidence" in Ms Smith and Ms Blears.
"HAD" !! So what does he have now ?
Just says it all about what a utter inept bunch of parasites they are. God I dread the day I have to come back.
- Asw, HK, 06/05/2009 10:08
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What caused the Government to be defeated was a massive misjudgement on the part of Brown, now officially our worst ever Prime Minister.
I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of effort our "elected" leaders are spending on keeping themselves in power and spinning the news, instead of working to improve Britain.
- St, London, 06/05/2009 09:44
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