Kelly certainly pulled no punches, particularly when it came to his dealings with the political class. He kicked off his press conference by blaming the party leaders for leaking incomplete accounts of his report and causing “distress”. He went on to suggest that none of the leaders were able to give him a straight answer on whether his report will be fully implemented. But his most pointed remarks were saved for Harriet Harman. She must be fuming.
You may remember that Harman took to the airwaves last Sunday to decry any recomendation that would force MPs to sack their wives. Kelly obviously found this a bit strange and told the assembled journalists that they may want to look at the evidence the Leader of the House gave to his committee, which didn’t quite tally with her TV appearance. Here are some extracts from her testimony:
It is quite difficult to create the sense that there has been equality of opportunity in that employment because it is quite difficult to see how you would have an open competition for a job if the person who is ultimately doing it ultimately you are married to.
So I think there are perception problems but I do want to say, just to put on the record for those colleagues who I work with on all sides of the House that I see spouses working incredibly hard but I think the public perception problem has overtaken the situation here.
…In particular cases there is quite a lot of support for the idea of the MP employing their wife but I do think that the overriding perception has been tainted and there is the proper concept of equality of opportunity which overrides that but I just want to mention that. I think some of the public really bond with the MP’s spouse.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey
