Laws’ return is imminent

Tomorrow’s New Statesman speculates that David Laws is about to return to government. Kevin Maguire reckons that it is significant that Laws is turning down invitations to events after an unidentified date in mid-March. Laws is still awaiting the verdict of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, but he is expected to be exonerated. Preparing for a return to government, he has been writing sharp columns in defence of the coalition’s economic policy and expanding into future policy areas like the 50p rate and increased spending on the pupil premium.

But Laws has also been keeping close to Clegg in recent months, tasked with building a strategy for the next election – the so called ‘Alarm Clock Unit’. Clegg may want to keep Laws in that role, but most coalition figures would welcome his return to the frontline at this awkward moment. Laws is very impressive; some Conservative backbenchers and aids talk wistfully of his intellectual ability and quiet brilliance at the dispatch box. Where might he go? There are rumours of a Spring reshuffle, with Ken Clarke facing demotion. Incidentally, Laws has long been connected with proposed changes at the Justice department.

He’s unlikely to re-enter at Cabinet level, but plenty around Westminster would like to see a change at the Lib Dem-led Business Department. The British Chambers of Commerce used today’s disappointing unemployment figures to renew its calls for a spate of deregulation and private sector growth initiatives. Laws’ reforming instincts are better suited to that task than the current incumbent, but it’s no more than a pipe-dream at present.