Why leave your husband if as you say you and he have done nothing wrong

[Dom Tuk]

So why did the culture secretary leave her husband if as she says she and he have done nothing wrong. In any case how does it help her. Her follies happened in 2000 and leaving him should not absolve her of her breaches while a minister. So will he be extradited to Italy. Am i the only person who thinks that this split is a convenient and very temporary one until the cloud passes.

[jon1968]

Ooooh, that�s very cynical of you Dom Tuk!
I do hope you�re not suggesting that one of the TB cronies is trying to wriggle out of a sleazy situation.
That�d be unheard of!! ;-)

[andy-hughes]

The media's take on this is that it is an attempt by Tessa Jowell to 'distance' herself from the increasing possibility that her husband is going to be on the wrong end of a fraud charge, and a possible perjury charge right behind that.

Anyone with the dignity and integrity required to be a Cabinet Minister would have resigned by now, either on the basis that she did know what was going on, which makes her a liar, or she didn't know, which makes her a fool - neither of which are qualifications for Government office.

[Gef]

Sorry andy but I thought that being a liar was a pre-requisite for Government office. LOL

[bill barlow]

And a fool Gef. She is well qualified.

[Peter Pedant]

what wife doesnt know of her husand getting a �360 000 hike ? One where they arent really speaking anyway.

I think this was the last straw.

360 000 was just part of a 2.7m payment. I mean - honestly!

[Steve_Luts]

My jaw nearly hit the desk when i saw it on the bbc website earlier.....how "convenient" indeed

Anyone giving odds on how long until they are magically reconciled? Hmmm how long does dust take to settle.....

Let me guess - Mandelson will act as their 'Relate' counsellor.

[Grunty]

Does this mean that couples should not be allowed to separate if one of them is suspected of a crime?

[jno]

You're not a fool just because you don't know everything your spouse does - I certainly don't. But if your relationship is built on the kind of trust that allows you not to have to worry what your spouse is up to - confident that he/she has your best interests at heart - it must be mortifying to find, in this case, that actually he's been imperilling her job in order to make money. I don't think the question of whether she's still with her husband or not will make the slightest difference to her political survival, so I don't think it's a political ploy; and I won't be horrified if they get back together. Which means, DT, that I think you're more cynical than a politician! What an accusation, eh?

[mullein3]

i think this split will only be until everything has blown over then they will get back together...its just convienient for now!!!..earlyier in the week they were happy then all of a sudden its over they must think we are all as green as cabbages..

[jrtv]

Is this the first time a Cabinet Minister has resigned from her family to spend more time with her job !

[WoWo]

"You're not a fool just because you don't know everything your spouse does "

But I think there is a fair difference from knowing your partners general day to day activities and when they suddenly come up with �360,000 to pay off a mortgage. You would at least ask where they got the money from.

[andy-hughes]

jno - I agree you are not a fool if you don;t know everything your spouse does - but if you are a Cabinet Minister and your husband is dealing in financial chicanery to which you have put your signature, and then you try and play the 'innocent' card - and you expect the electorate, your party, and Parliament to believe it - then you are a fool - and a big one!