Peter Hain Resigns From Cabinet

It has just emerged that Peter Hain has resigned after it was decided that his campaign donations will be referred to the Met Police. Once more this centre-right government is tainted by sleaze. When will it ever end? Perhaps when capitalism is finally overthrown, who knows? From the BBC:

Peter Hain has quit the Cabinet after his deputy leader campaign donations were referred to the Met Police.

Mr Hain, work and pensions secretary and Wales secretary, said he had stood down so he could "clear my name".

He quit within minutes of the Electoral Commission saying that it had decided to refer the late declaration of £103,000 of donations to the police.

Mr Hain has blamed poor administration and has said the suggestion he tried to hide anything was "absurd".

How Did I Miss This?

Must have been in a coma to miss this story:

As an Israeli ambassador, Tsuriel Raphael was accomplished at putting a gloss on delicate subjects, be it Tel Aviv's nuclear programme, the treatment of Palestinians or the invasion of Lebanon.

When San Salvador police discovered him in his official embassy residence yard in the capital San Salvador, however, smooth talk was not really an option. For starters there was the gag and the rubber ball in his mouth. There was also the matter of being drunk. And naked. And bound. And surrounded by sex toys.

Once he was untied and the gag and ball were removed Mr Raphael identified himself as the ambassador but for perhaps the first time in his diplomatic career, this was a crisis he could not explain away.

These ambassadors sure know how to let their hair down.