Hain resigns from the Cabinet after donations scandal is referred to the Police

11.04.19pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 24th Jan 2008

Peter Hain MP

Peter Hain has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary and Welsh Secretary after police launched a criminal investigation into his failure to declare donations to his unsuccessful Labour deputy leadership campaign. The Electoral Commission called in Scotland Yard after talks with the CPS following Mr Hain's late declaration of more than £103,000. Earlier this month, Mr Hain admitted to failing to declare 17 donations after a supporter complained a £5,000 donation had not appeared as required by law on the Electoral Commission website.

The transition from Blair to Brown feels increasingly like the transition from Thatcher to Major. We all remember John Major clinging on to ministerial colleagues, only to lose them in the end, and now Gordon Brown is doing the same. The difference is that it took Major almost two years to lose his first cabinet colleague. Gordon Brown has lost Peter Hain after just six months. We have had the return of government incompetence, economic turmoil and political sleaze.