(UK) Attorney general to leave office

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith is to step down after six years in office.

He said in a statement he will leave his post next week - as Tony Blair quits after 10 years as prime minister.
...
He said he had wanted to move on for some time and had told the PM and Chancellor that he believed that now was the right time to make that move.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6232434.stm

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After the suddenly changed advice on the legality of the Iraq invasion, and the suddenly halted investigation into BAE Systems bribes to Bandar, he was severely damaged goods, so this isn't surprising in some ways. He was a friend of Blair.

[Robbien]

1. The next couple of years will be pretty busy for anyone in the AG spot

I expect Blair has been playing as fast and loose with the UK system of Justice as Georgie has been doing with ours.

Peas in a pod.

[T_i_B]

2. The amusing thing at present though...

...is the supposed offers of top jobs to people outside of the Labour party, such as offering Paddy Ashdown the job of Northern Ireland secretary. (well that one we know definitely happened and was turned down!)

I'm not sure any of that is wholly necessary though, given that the government still has a good working majority in the commons.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I was thinking that Attorney General would be a likely candidate for filling from outside Labour

if Brown wants to look honest, that is. It's not normally giving to a prominent party hack anyway, and needs real specialist knowledge. Goldsmith was a Labour supporter, but maybe more importantly a friend of Tony and Cherie, so in he came.

[T_i_B]

4. Maybe that's just what you'd want...

...given the anti-civil liberties schtick of the Labour party at present?

However, I wouldn't expect the incoming AG to be anyone who's going to rock the boat myself.