A PLAINLY “mortified” British home secretary Jacqui Smith faced fresh calls for her resignation yesterday in the continuing controversy over her use of her parliamentary allowances.
Prime minister Gordon Brown insisted that Ms Smith’s “mistaken” claim for a television package through which her husband watched two £5 adult movies should be regarded as “a personal matter”. Speaking at a press conference intended to focus on this week’s G20 summit following talks with the Australian prime minister, Mr Brown said his home secretary was “doing a great job” and that this issue should in no way “detract from everything she is doing for the public in making our neighbourhoods safer”.
Labour MP Paul Flynn, however, suggested Ms Smith should stand down. “Her reputation is in serious trouble and her authority is badly damaged and I think she should look at her position,” he told BBC Wales.
Conservative leader David Cameron said the revelation about the adult movies was “hugely embarrassing” for Ms Smith but not of itself a resignation issue. Mr Cameron added, however, that the home secretary still had “some questions to answer” about her claims of more than £116,000 in “second home” allowances on her family home in her Redditch constituency.
Mr Cameron also accused Mr Brown of kicking “into the long grass” the review he ordered last week – which will not report until after the general election – into MPs’ pay and allowances.
Ms Smith’s embarrassment continued, meanwhile, at revelations that her “second home” expenses included a Habitat stone kitchen sink worth £550, a reclaimed antique-style fireplace at £1,000, a tumble dryer, two washing machines, a sofa bed and dining table, two wide screen televisions, and a bath plug.