Should Charles Clarke Resign?

Personally I think yes.
His rationale about not resigning doesn't wash with me. 'Staying on' to put things right is, in my view a very poor reason not to fall on his sword. And as for him 'offering' his resignation to Blair who did not accept it........Spin, Spin and more Spin....(IMHO)

The current problems with the system were known about months ago and since then another 288 have been released. It is incompetence and he should go.

I disagree.

It is quite clear that this is a 'systemic failure' going back years (the figures quoted to date talk about 1996 = tory gov years).

That being the case the convention is that the SoS under whom the problem is revealed is not expected to 'carry the can'.

As Michael Howard (ex tory SoS for the Home Office and leader of the tory party/HM opposition) made it perfectly plain when he was the SoS at the Home Office, the SoS cannot be expected to micromanage the department.
Link

It's not a great story and it's quite clear the Home Office is, still, one of the most problematic areas of government (as it has been for decades and under all 'colours' of government) but to lay this all at CC's door and expect a resignation is IMO a denial of the facts as well as petty and opportunistic politicing of the highest order (and shows what are the real 'concerns' of the opposition parties in this).

[Mod Edit: Link format - Jak]

[edit on 2/5/06 by JAK]

It's true that the political opposition is trying very hard to take advantage of the media 'circus' by getting themselves a high profile scalp. I would normally agree with you also about CC staying on had it simply been a 'systemic' failure that he is now trying to rectify.

My concern in this case though is that by CC's own admission, this issue was first brought to his attention following the publication of the NAO report in July last year. It is this particular point that I believe he should resign over as, IMO it 'then' became his responsibility and could not from that point be blamed on a 'systemic failure'.

He should clear up the mess him and the home office have made, then resign from his post, (or risk being sacked by tony blair)< wishfull thinkin

He should clear up the mess him and the home office have made, then resign from his post, (or risk being sacked by tony blair)< wishfull thinkin

- ......and if it turns out that this has happened despite his expressed instructions and active attempts to get it stopped (which is what CC has been saying) then why should he then resign when he was making proper efforts to fix things?

There is to be a HOC enquiry on this and on Channel 4 news tonight John Denham MP (head of the HAC) said CC would come before them at the end of may, this isn't to be dragged out (which indicates the seriousness being taken of this).

news.bbc.co.uk...

Well 5ick8oy looks like you've got your wish.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Charles Clarke has been sacked from his Pot of Home Secretary.....Yipeee now move in the next scapegoat to clean up his mess dammm ....

Do you think he should have been sacked or should he had been given time to sort out the mess that he created??

news.bbc.co.uk...

It is gonna be one hell of a Job for the next Home Secretary to clean up this mess......