Hain faces new Commons questions
Peter Hain today faced humiliation in the Commons after being branded incompetent by Gordon Brown over his failure to declare cash donations.
Peter Hain today faced humiliation in the Commons after being branded incompetent by Gordon Brown over his failure to declare cash donations.
The Work and Pensions Secretary was facing questions in his other cabinet role as Secretary of State for Wales just hours after the Prime Ministerial put-down.
Mr Brown was asked during a TV interview about Mr Hain's failure to declare £103,000 in donations and loans to his failed campaign for labour's deputy leadership last year.
He replied: "Peter Hain has confessed to his mistakes and he has apologised in the most profuse terms for what has gone wrong. It was a mistake that was made, it was an incompetence that he has readily admitted to."
The Labour leader then went on to say the matter was now before the Commons standards committee and the Electoral Commision.
He added: "I believe that they will understand that this was a failure, but there was no corruption involved, no illegal donation made, and I hope that they will be able to accept his apology."
The Prime Minister's far-from-ringing endorsement of one of his own senior ministers heaped pressure on Mr Hain whose future has now dominated proceedings at Westminster for more than a week. Earlier, one of Mr Brown's closest allies, Schools Secretary Ed Balls, warned that ministers had to maintain "the highest standards in public life".
Oppositions MPs are also questioning a donation to Mr Hain of £10,000 from the GMB union which had been campaigning against the closure of Remploy factories around the country.
Just three weeks later the Work and Pensions Secretary announced at the Labour Party conference that the closure programme would be slimmed down.
Questions were also being raised about his department's role in the fiasco which saw illegal immigrants working in the UK - some of them as security guards in Whitehall departments.
The Department of Work and Pensions is accused of handing National Insurance numbers to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who then went on to find jobs.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling said: "Firms must feel confident the system is working properly and not allowing thousands of illegal immigrants cover to get a job.
"After the fiasco over the figures for migrant workers last year, it's clear the system has collapsed into chaos," said the Tory spokesman.
by Westminster editor John Hipwood
