Labour leader dual role again in spotlight

Tuesday 22 May 2007

Labour (PvdA) parliamentary leader Jacques Tichelaar thinks it's possible that Wouter Bos could lose his position as party leader at the Labour party congress this autumn.

Party members may well hold Bos responsible for the election defeat when the party lost nine seats, Tichellar said. He made the remarks in an interview in the June issue of Opzij magazine.

Tichelaar was also critical of how Bos, as finance minister, had dealt with the question of very high earners. During a parliamentary debate on the subject Bos rejected the introduction of a new top rate of tax and called instead on managers to exercise 'moral restraint'.

Bos countered on Monday evening during a visit to Utrecht that Tichelaar's comment was 'a bit clumsy'. He said he had spoken to Tichelaar who indicated that he is sorry for the confusion he caused.

Bos also pointed out that it was the party members who had chosen him for the position of finance minister in the new cabinet.

The Labour leader came under fire earlier this year for his dual role. Some MPs said it was impossible for him to combine his duties as finance minister with defending the Labour party position.

© DutchNews.nl

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