Post by Papa C. on Mar 30, 2009 22:36:44 GMT
British MP Jacqui Smith battles to save job
Beleaguered Home Secretary Jacqui Smith claimed £22,948 in taxpayer-funded allowances for her second home, official figures show.
Ms Smith has been forced to apologise for "mistakenly" claiming the cost of two porn films watched by her husband Richard Timney, who is also her Parliamentary aide.
It has been stressed that she was away when he viewed the films at their home in her Redditch, Worcestershire, constituency.
Mr Timney has said sorry for the "embarrassment" caused while his wife has promised to repay all the costs, including the £10 charge for the films which appeared on a Virgin Media bill apparently inadvertently submitted by him, alongside a £67 web connection fee.
Ms Smith's claims are already under investigation by a sleaze watchdog after complaints about her decision to designate her sister's house in south London, where she stays, as her "main" home.
This allowed her to claim back the costs of running her Redditch home. Her overall expense claim for 2007/2008, including travel, office and staffing costs, was £145,331, figures released by the House of Commons show.
Ms Smith was paid the sum in additional costs allowance (ACA), which is designed to cover the cost of working in both London and a constituency.
The figures also showed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed £124,454 in expenses and allowances in 2007/08, while Conservative leader David Cameron claimed £148,829.
Mr Brown has given Ms Smith his full support, saying: "The Home Secretary is doing a great job and I do not think this issue should be allowed to detract from everything she is doing to ensure we protect the public and keep our neighbourhoods safe."
He added: "She has done the right thing by taking steps to rectify the mistake that was made as soon as she became aware of it.
"This is very much a personal matter for Jacqui. She has made her apology, her husband has made clear that he has apologised. The best thing is that Jacqui Smith gets on with her work, which is what she wants to do."
But despite the support from Number 10, MPs are waiting to see if Ms Smith's career can survive a scandal which threatens to undermine her authority.
The disclosures come at a difficult time for Ms Smith and the Government.
Only last week Mr Brown ordered the Committee on Standards in Public Life to launch a review of the whole system of MPs pay and allowances in an attempt to quell growing public anger.
The move followed the disclosure that another Government member, Immigration Minister Tony McNulty, had claimed £60,000 in second home allowances on the house his parents live in in his Harrow constituency, even though he lived only a few miles away in Hammersmith.
Beleaguered Home Secretary Jacqui Smith claimed £22,948 in taxpayer-funded allowances for her second home, official figures show.
Ms Smith has been forced to apologise for "mistakenly" claiming the cost of two porn films watched by her husband Richard Timney, who is also her Parliamentary aide.
It has been stressed that she was away when he viewed the films at their home in her Redditch, Worcestershire, constituency.
Mr Timney has said sorry for the "embarrassment" caused while his wife has promised to repay all the costs, including the £10 charge for the films which appeared on a Virgin Media bill apparently inadvertently submitted by him, alongside a £67 web connection fee.
Ms Smith's claims are already under investigation by a sleaze watchdog after complaints about her decision to designate her sister's house in south London, where she stays, as her "main" home.
This allowed her to claim back the costs of running her Redditch home. Her overall expense claim for 2007/2008, including travel, office and staffing costs, was £145,331, figures released by the House of Commons show.
Ms Smith was paid the sum in additional costs allowance (ACA), which is designed to cover the cost of working in both London and a constituency.
The figures also showed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed £124,454 in expenses and allowances in 2007/08, while Conservative leader David Cameron claimed £148,829.
Mr Brown has given Ms Smith his full support, saying: "The Home Secretary is doing a great job and I do not think this issue should be allowed to detract from everything she is doing to ensure we protect the public and keep our neighbourhoods safe."
He added: "She has done the right thing by taking steps to rectify the mistake that was made as soon as she became aware of it.
"This is very much a personal matter for Jacqui. She has made her apology, her husband has made clear that he has apologised. The best thing is that Jacqui Smith gets on with her work, which is what she wants to do."
But despite the support from Number 10, MPs are waiting to see if Ms Smith's career can survive a scandal which threatens to undermine her authority.
The disclosures come at a difficult time for Ms Smith and the Government.
Only last week Mr Brown ordered the Committee on Standards in Public Life to launch a review of the whole system of MPs pay and allowances in an attempt to quell growing public anger.
The move followed the disclosure that another Government member, Immigration Minister Tony McNulty, had claimed £60,000 in second home allowances on the house his parents live in in his Harrow constituency, even though he lived only a few miles away in Hammersmith.
