Article for North Devon Journal

The resignation of David Laws, the Chief Secretary of the Treasury, at the weekend marks a political milestone.

The resignation of David Laws, the Chief Secretary of the Treasury, at the weekend marks a political milestone. The Coalition Government has had its first major political test, and sooner than anyone was expecting. At a time when the national finances are in such a desperate state it is a severe disappointment to see David Laws go. In the short time he had been in office, he had won the respect of Government's MPs of both parties by showing very clear signs that he was on top of his brief and up to the momentous task with which he was charged of saving the public billions of pounds of expenditure.

However, the advantage of the current arrangement is that there is a considerable pool of talented people ready to fill the breach, and I am hopeful that Danny Alexander, Mr Laws' successor, will live up to the high standard set by his colleague. This common programme of public expenditure restraint is the single most important national priority of the coalition and a subject on which there is complete agreement between the component parties. Indeed, there is already a close working relationship and identity of interest on these and many other matters between "Orange Book" Liberal Democrats such as Nick Clegg, David Laws and Danny Alexander and the Conservatives.

There is however a second, more subtle reason why the events of the weekend mark an important shift; I think it demonstrates a new maturity and respect for their office on the part of Government Ministers. During my time in Parliament I have almost lost count of the number of times a disgraced Labour Minister has brazenly refused to step down and then clung to office, discrediting both themselves and the office that they held. The public have the right to demand a higher standard, and so while I am deeply disappointed at the circumstances of Mr Laws' resignation and am sad to see such a talented man leave the Government, I am glad that his honourable and dignified exit has returned a welcome tradition to Westminster politics.

In truth, anyone who expected a long honeymoon period for this Government was being optimistic. Even the six billions of pounds of cuts announced last week barely scratch the surface of what is required to stave off economic and financial ruin that would follow failure to achieve a dramatic reduction of the budget deficit, and I expect the emergency budget later this month to demonstrate that we will have to tighten our belts considerably.

The next few years to come will be painful, and difficult. But as David Cameron has kept saying, "we are all in this together", and nowhere is this truer than for the Coalition. To Conservative proposals like reforming the welfare system and our schools, substantial reductions in immigration and the referendum lock on further EU treaties, we have been able to add other points on which we agree such as the Pupil Premium, and taking the lowest paid out of tax. Political resignations will come and go. But the Coalition and its purpose is bigger than any one person; together we are beginning to lay the foundations for the freer, fairer and more responsible Britain we desperately need.