An update on the procedure for sacking ministers
Oh dear, my previous blog on the procedure for sacking ministers in the new two-party government has caused a spot of bother.
Indeed, if I was being mischievous I might claim it as the first small split in the new coalition.
My report that only the respective leaders could sack a minister from their own party (and Cameron couldn't therefore sack Cable, for example) was based on a briefing this afternoon with two of Nick Clegg's senior aides.
"That's not true," one of his spokeswomen has just rung to say.
"The ultimate responsibility for the hiring and firing of ministers, regardless of which party, lies with the Prime Minister."
She added that this statement followed consultation with her Lib Dem colleagues to try and clarify the issue.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 13th May 2010, Isatou wrote:You Beeboids are getting really desperate looking for splits. Why can't you just accept that your party lost ? For most of us in this country it is good riddance to bad rubbish. If only we could get rid of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ so easily !
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Comment number 2.
At 13th May 2010, stevie wrote:Isatou. like Fox news do you, like Rupert sacking thousands do you, what a ......
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Comment number 3.
At 13th May 2010, Smeagol wrote:Why doesn't Crick take some time while we wait for the new government to get going to review some of the decisions made by the previous government. I put in a request to More or Less on Radio 4 who were asking listeners for things relating to the government and the election that they wanted the real facts and figures for. My request was for information on how many billions were lost when Brown waived our right to the rebate we used to receive from the EU. I suspect that it was meant to have led to Blair being appointed the first president of the EU, but I did want to know exactly what we can consider to got to show in return.
Of course I neither expected or received a reply from the show, any more than I expect the man who claims he wants to tell us the stories the politicians don't want us to hear about to look into this matter for us. He's much too biased in favour of Labour and pathologically Tory-phobic to bother with Labour's idiotic waiving of our right to a rebate that saved us billions every year.
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Comment number 4.
At 14th May 2010, Isatou wrote:Stevie,
I don't have to buy Murdoch's products , but I am forced to pay the TV tax under pain of imprisonment.
Are you incapable of seeing the difference ?
Imagine how you would feel if you had to pay a fee to the conservative party before you can vote in an election.
That is how I feel about paying money to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, an institution which I loathe.
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Comment number 5.
At 14th May 2010, Isatou wrote:Trout,
All these matters are too complicated for teenage Beeboids to understand !
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