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| Peter Hain resigns from Cabinet | Peter Hain resigns from Cabinet |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Peter Hain has quit the Cabinet after his deputy leader campaign donations were referred to the Met Police. | Peter Hain has quit the Cabinet after his deputy leader campaign donations were referred to the Met Police. |
| Mr Hain, work and pensions secretary and Wales secretary, said he had stood down so he could "clear my name". | Mr Hain, work and pensions secretary and Wales secretary, said he had stood down so he could "clear my name". |
| He quit within minutes of the Electoral Commission saying that it had decided to refer the late declaration of £103,000 of donations to the police. | He quit within minutes of the Electoral Commission saying that it had decided to refer the late declaration of £103,000 of donations to the police. |
| Mr Hain has blamed poor administration and has said the suggestion he tried to hide anything was "absurd". | Mr Hain has blamed poor administration and has said the suggestion he tried to hide anything was "absurd". |
| I personally regard him as an excellent colleague and a good friend Harriet HarmanLabour's deputy leader Q&A: Hain's donations href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7193413.stm">Analysis: Why Hain quit | |
| He is expected to make a statement later on Thursday. It is the first ministerial resignation of Gordon Brown's premiership. | |
| The Electoral Commission said it would be up to the Metropolitan Police to decide whether to investigate the donations. | |
| Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said it was the right decision. | Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said it was the right decision. |
| He said the key questions were what Mr Hain knew and the status of the Progressive Policies Forum, through which some of the donations were channelled. | He said the key questions were what Mr Hain knew and the status of the Progressive Policies Forum, through which some of the donations were channelled. |
| Campaign debts | Campaign debts |
| He added: "A whole host of questions will come out of it. But they'll be now for the police to answer, not for us." | He added: "A whole host of questions will come out of it. But they'll be now for the police to answer, not for us." |
| Mr Hain joined Labour in the late 1970s after leading the campaign against the apartheid regime in South Africa, going on to be one of its longest-serving ministers. | Mr Hain joined Labour in the late 1970s after leading the campaign against the apartheid regime in South Africa, going on to be one of its longest-serving ministers. |
| The transition from Blair to Brown feels increasingly like the transition from Thatcher to Major Danny AlexanderLib Dem MP In quotes: Reaction | The transition from Blair to Brown feels increasingly like the transition from Thatcher to Major Danny AlexanderLib Dem MP In quotes: Reaction |
| But his bid to replace John Prescott as his party's deputy leader ended in failure when he came fifth out of six contenders and his campaign was left with huge debts, which it tried to clear by seeking donations from wealthy individuals. | But his bid to replace John Prescott as his party's deputy leader ended in failure when he came fifth out of six contenders and his campaign was left with huge debts, which it tried to clear by seeking donations from wealthy individuals. |
| Mr Hain declared 17 of these donations - totalling £103,000 - more than four months after the contest ended, placing him in potential breach of electoral law. | Mr Hain declared 17 of these donations - totalling £103,000 - more than four months after the contest ended, placing him in potential breach of electoral law. |
| The Electoral Commission said it had decided to call in the police following a "thorough review" of the late donations. | The Electoral Commission said it had decided to call in the police following a "thorough review" of the late donations. |
| The investigation will be carried out by the Metropolitan Police Specialist and Economic Crime Directorate - the same unit that investigated cash-for-honours allegations last year which led to no charges being brought. | |
| The investigation will be led by Acting Commander Nigel Moore. | |
| Resignation 'inevitable' | Resignation 'inevitable' |
| Commons leader Harriet Harman, who won last year's deputy leadership race, paid tribute to Mr Hain earlier during business questions in the Commons. | Commons leader Harriet Harman, who won last year's deputy leadership race, paid tribute to Mr Hain earlier during business questions in the Commons. |
| She told MPs: "I regard the work my right honourable friend has been doing (as) important work for people in this country and I personally regard him as an excellent colleague and a good friend." | She told MPs: "I regard the work my right honourable friend has been doing (as) important work for people in this country and I personally regard him as an excellent colleague and a good friend." |
| He jumped. He wasn't pushed BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in fullYour views on resignation | He jumped. He wasn't pushed BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in fullYour views on resignation |
| Health Secretary Alan Johnson, a fellow challenger for Labour's deputy leadership last year said he was "absolutely" shocked by Mr Hain's resignation but could understand why he had done it. | |
| "I'm really sad, because it's a big loss for us," he added. | |
| Mr Hain's Conservative work and pensions shadow, Chris Grayling, said his resignation was "inevitable". | |
| "What is important now is for Gordon Brown to take rapid action to restore effective leadership to a department that has clearly been distracted by the events of the last few weeks." | "What is important now is for Gordon Brown to take rapid action to restore effective leadership to a department that has clearly been distracted by the events of the last few weeks." |
| Giving his reaction, Lib Dem work and pensions spokesman Danny Alexander said: "The transition from Blair to Brown feels increasingly like the transition from Thatcher to Major." | Giving his reaction, Lib Dem work and pensions spokesman Danny Alexander said: "The transition from Blair to Brown feels increasingly like the transition from Thatcher to Major." |