Resignation season

GOVERNMENT Director of Communications Andy Coulson became the second major political figure in under 24 years to resign after Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson quit yesterday.

Mr Coulson stood down today having endured months of speculation over claims that phone-hacking took place at the News of the World while he was editor.

Yesterday evening, Mr Johnson left his post from the Opposition front bench "for personal reasons", amid allegations that his wife had an affair with a policeman assigned to protect him.

And, while both resignations come in rather different circumstances, it is much harder to spot the difference between the lack of judgement of the two main party leaders.

Resignation #1: Andy Coulson
Government Director of Communications (until today at 11:37GMT today)

Prime minister David Cameron first appointed Mr Coulson as Director of Communications in 2007 while the Conservatives were still in Opposition.

However, even back then, the arrival of the former News of the World editor caused a stir and the decision by Mr Cameron was questioned.

After all, these phone-hacking allegations, which have since stunk out the Wapping offices of the News of the World, were prevalent then.

And Mr Coulson was only able to take up his post at Conservative Central Office because he had resigned from the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper after Royal correspondent Clive Goodman was jailed for plotting to intercept phone messages.

For his part, Mr Coulson has always denied any knowledge of the phone-hacking scandal - and, indeed, the newspaper has always maintained the practice was down to a single rogue reporter in Goodman.

However, that claim is in danger of unravelling after the paper's hired private investigator Glenn Mulcaire told a court this week that the head of news Ian Edmonson commissioned him to access voicemail messages.

Of course, Mr Mulcaire's claim does not corrupt Mr Coulson in itself - but it is fair to say that the former editor now has some questions to answer.

And, undoubtedly, Mr Coulson would find it much easier to answer to the allegations without somehow having to deal with the press on a daily basis.

Bafflingly, Mr Cameron does not seem to understand this, claiming that Mr Coulson has been "punished for the same offence twice".

True, Mr Coulson has had to resign twice but then it was a surprise he got the chance in the first place, given the allegations hanging over him.

As Mr Coulson today said himself: "When the spokesman needs a spokesman, it's time to move on", echoing a line used in September by The Thick Of It writer Armando Iannucci.

Surely, Mr Cameron must realise this.

Resignation #2: Alan Johnson
The Labour Party's Shadow Chancellor (until yesterday at 17:00GMT)

While Mr Coulson's resignation has perhaps been coming for some time, Mr Johnson's departure "for personal reasons" was a genuine bolt from the blue.

Several newspapers now carry the story that his resignation relates to his wife's affair with a policeman employed to protect him while he was Home Secretary.

From this, Mr Johnson appears to be blameless and the popular former postman's promising political career has crashed around him through little fault of his own.

However, Labour party leader Ed Miliband must take a share of the blame - not for the affair, of course, but for a poor political strategy which left Mr Johnson flailing.

Mr Miliband appointed Mr Johnson as Shadow Chancellor in order to temper the influence of Brownite economist Ed Balls.

But Mr Johnson was ill-suited to job, admitting on his first day that he needs an "economics primer".

The MP for West Hull and Hessle was subsequently caught out by not knowing the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions or the rate of VAT on food.

However, given Mr Johnson's overall appeal to voters, it was likely that he would have been given time to grow into the position - and so his resignation was still a shock.

Now, Mr Balls is back and in a stronger position than before as Mr Miliband cannot afford to lose another Shadow Chancellor.

In other words, it could be said that Mr Balls has his party leader by the... er, balls.

Of course, the Conservatives will hardly find it difficult to associate Mr Balls with the size of the deficit left by Mr Cameron's predecessor Gordon Brown.

Mr Balls was in as an adviser to Mr Brown for 13 years between 1994 and 2007 until he became Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Much now depends on the relationship between Mr Miliband and Mr Balls - and the ability of the latter to land hefty blows on his opposite number, George Osborne.

All in all, a rather messy end to the week in Westminster - and a week which has left both main parties shuffling their pack and scratching their heads over just what might happen next.