David Cameron Coalition Blow As David Laws Resigns Over Gay Rent

by Paul Conneally | May 29, 2010 at 03:11 pm

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Treasury Secretary Resigns Over Gay Lover Rent Allegations

Prime Minister David Cameron and Nick Clegg's coalition government suffered a massive setback as treasury chief David Laws resigned after revelations about fraudulent expenses claims and his sexuality.

On Friday Laws was outed as gay against his will when it came to light that he was claiming expenses from the state to rent a room in the home of his gay lover.

Liberal Democrat MP David Laws had been seen as one of the stars of the new Conservative Lib Dem coalition heading up the government's programme to reduce the budget deficit. It seemed inevitable that after allegations of financial impropriety he would have to go either by force or voluntarily.

In a letter to the Prime Minister David Cameron Laws said: “I do not see how I can carry on my crucial work on the budget and spending review while I have to deal with the private and public implications of recent revelations.”

His replacement is Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem Scottish secretary.

The new coalition government was plunged into its first crisis as the Liberal Democrat cabinet minister charged with cutting the £156bn deficit resigned following revelations about his expenses.

Laws’s departure from one of the most important roles in the government, less than three weeks after his appointment, plunged the coalition into crisis. The 44-year-old former investment banker had been regarded as one of the stars of the coalition and was spearheading the programme to reduce the deficit.