Breaking Laws | 10 May 2011

When David Laws resigned from government last year, his return was thought to be only a matter of time. Today, it is looking considerably more indefinite. Not only has Cameron been talking down the prospect of a reshuffle any time soon, but the Evening Standard is reporting that Laws has been found guilty of breaching six — six! — Commons rules related to his expense claims. No word, yet, on the details, or whether there will be any formal punishment for the former Chief Sec. But it doesn’t look good for him, nor for his ministerial prospects in the short-term.

Sky’s Sophy Ridge tweets that certain Lib Dems are “still keen” to transfer Laws back to government “within weeks”. Perhaps so — but I’d be surprised were they to pull it off. Redrafting a receipt offender into government would be provocative at the best of times, let alone during the fallout from the AV referendum.