Home truths and sailors' sayings

By David Porter
Westminster correspondent, BBC Scotland

The prime minister may have changed, the home secretary may have changed but some things, including the problems at the Home Office, remain.

Jacqui Smith endures life on the Home Office 'bed of nails'

Famously branded by its last occupant, Dr John Reid, as ''unfit for purpose '' the present incumbent, Jacqui Smith, is rapidly learning just why this department is known among civil servants at the ''bed of nails ''.

We read at the weekend that 5,000 illegal immigrants had been working in security jobs and this week we were told that the Home Office knew about this in July but kept the problems quiet.

For the opposition it was the equivalent of an open political goal.

On Tuesday, Ms Smith was forced to make a statement to MPs on the matter. Her argument was that it was more important to get the problem sorted out than go about issuing press releases on the latest developments.

She refused to say when she had told Gordon Brown about the problem, but did reveal that one of those working illegally had been involved in guarding Tony Blair's car when he was prime minister.

She also revealed that the obligatory investigation was now being carried out and that could well show that the figure of 5,000 was too low.

When he took over, Gordon Brown indicated spin would be consigned to the dustbin and he made much of restoring trust in politics

Just when Gordon Brown was informed was the issue David Cameron sought to exploit at Prime Minister's Questions.

The prime minister refused to say when he knew, stating that the Home Office was getting on with the job of tackling the problem.

But why did the opposition pursue the matter with such vigour?

First, there's the perennial temptation to attack a political opponent when he or she is down.

But they also saw it in wider political terms, going to the heart of the way of the way the Brown government operates.

Allegations of spin were very damaging for Tony Blair.

When he took over, Gordon Brown indicated spin would be consigned to the dustbin and he made much of restoring trust in politics.

Lord West went for the 'old sea dog' defence when pressed

The opportunity to raise a question mark over ministers trying to hide bad news was always going to be very tempting.

Therefore, they wanted the prime minister to tell what he knew, when

The Conservatives believe pointing up the delay before the government informed the rest of us could blow a hole in the notion of an era of new candour. One Home Office minister who perhaps showed a bit too much candour was the Security Minister Lord West of Spit.

Lord West - as his title suggests - was formerly the head of the Navy.

He was brought into government by Gordon Brown to advise on security measures and some in Whitehall wished he had demonstrated a bit more security surrounding his own comments.

He found himself at the centre of a political row over his views on extending the time terror suspects can be held without charge. The government wants the detention limit extended.

On Wednesday morning, Lord West told the BBC that he had yet to be convinced of the need to increase the current 28-day limit.

Just over an hour later - after a visit to Downing Street - he said he was convinced 28 days was too short a time.

Lord West denied changing his mind - but the opposition parties seized on the volte face, suggesting the admiral had been "leant on" by Downing Street.

Lord West attributed his difficulty to the fact he was a "simple sailor'' who had failed to choose his words carefully..

Now when would you hear an experienced politician making an admission like that?