YVONNE’S TAKE: Minister to Advisor

Today, my Take comes from a land faraway. Over 10 thousand km and 133 hours by road and close to 9 hours away by air.

Friends, let’s go to London, because something very curious happened there. A resignation!

Her name is Louise Haigh, she was the UK’s Transport Secretary in Keir Starmer’s administration since July this year. Less than 6 months into the job, she did the unthinkable. She resigned.

It all started with a Sky News investigation that revealed that Ms. Haigh had lied about a phone going missing. 10 years ago. Basically, she reported to the authorities that her work phone had gone missing. Her employer issued her with another. But she found the phone she had declared lost or missing but failed to inform the authorities about this. The police caught up with this lie and she pleaded guilty to lying, or in legal parlance, fraud by misrepresentation.

She was discharged with no further action. It was also revealed that her employer conducted an investigation into her actions, but that she resigned terming the probe unfair. Now, this all happened 10 years ago in 2014. Before she joined politics and before she joined Keir Starmer’s Cabinet. Immediately this was revealed by the media, she resigned.

You see, there is something in the UK called Government Ethics Standards. It became clear that she failed to disclose this minor, 10-year old infraction to the ethics and standards team. So, she resigned, to avoid being a “distraction” to the government. In her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, she said “I remain totally committed to our political project, but I now believe it will be best served by my supporting you from outside government”

First of all, is Ms haigh mad? The youngest member of the Cabinet at just 37 is resigning? What is wrong with her? I mean, it is not like she was accused of corruption? I mean, she was not accused of murder, was she? Wait, this woman did not lead the country to sign a deal with a company whose reputation was already dubious elsewhere in the world. A deal whose exit, the country’s citizens might have to pay for. Folks, Ms. Haigh was not accused of unethical dealings in her ministry, the type that would lead to her being reportedly barred from bilateral meetings with a key ally, leading to her being unable to represent Kenya on the global stage.

Was she even accused of living a lavish lifestyle, the likes of which were inconsistent with her public service pay? Guys, was Louise Haigh leading a ministry at which there was a fertiliser scandal? Folks, it’s not like the British public had been complaining about her performance or show of opulence or scandals in her ministry for weeks prior to her leaving office. Leaving office? Who does that? Especially at the prime age of 37, with less than 6 months in office?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is another one. How do you replace her within hours of her resignation? Just because you have been under sharp criticism over the first 6 months of your tenure? Dude, it’ not even been 2 years of sharp criticism! Man up! Here is how it’s done, first, don’t accept Louise Haigh’s resignation. OK, maybe accept it for now, then reappoint her either in another docket, or as your advisor at No. 10.

Finally, all that backlash you are facing from farmers over inheritance tax changes, the complaints over your first budget that has introduced the largest tax hikes in a generation, the calls for another General Election because your Labour Party has “gone back on the promises”….ignore them all. Don’t listen to the people. Don’t accept resignations, and for heavens sake, do not even think of resigning yourself!

In fact, invite Kemi Badenoch, the first black woman to head the Conservatives, to the table. Give the Conservatives some Cabinet positions. Call it broad-based, no wait, you’re the Englishman, i am sure you can come up with many other synonyms for it, like all-embracing, or whatever, i’m sure you’ll come up with something and, voila! Sorted! Easy peesy.