In U.K, the Liberal Democrat David Laws has resigned as Chief Secretary to the Treasury after admitting that he claimed expenses to pay rent to his partner. He said he could not carry on with the crucial work on the Budget while dealing with the implications of the revelations in the Daily Telegraph. He had earlier apologised and said he would pay back the 40,000 pounds he claimed. <br/>The British Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg paid tribute to Mr. Laws saying they hoped he would return. Mr. Laws is the first resignation to hit the coalition government just three weeks after it was formed. He was one of the Liberal Democrat negotiators who hammered out the deal before joining the cabinet as a key member of Chancellor George Osborne's team. <br/>Mr. Laws said he had informed both David Cameron and Nick Clegg, but it had been his decision alone.<br/>