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March 30 Porn claim reignites MPs' expenses row(Image © PA)
What’s happening?
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, a seasoned crusader against the sex industry, has apologised after mistakenly claiming the cost of two pornographic movies on her parliamentary expenses. The pay-per-view films were watched by her husband, Richard Timney, at the family home while Smith was away. The humiliating revelation not only threatens to undermine her authority, but has called into fresh question exactly what MPs should be claiming for at taxpayers’ expense.
What are people saying?
Conservative leader David Cameron described the incident as “deeply embarrassing”, but stopped short of calling for Smith’s resignation (to do so would invite closer scrutiny of the Tories’ own expense claims). Prime Minister Gordon Brown rose to Smith’s defence in a Downing Street press conference: “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.”
Why should we give a damn? British taxpayers are becoming increasingly angry at the secrecy surrounding MPs’ expenses. In recent years, several MPs have fallen foul of Whitehall’s sleaze watchdogs for alleged expense-fiddling. Tory MP Derek Conway was suspended from the Commons in 2008 for paying his son too much from parliamentary allowances and the ‘John Lewis List’ caused a public outcry when it was released under the Freedom of Information Act. Only last week Brown ordered the Committee on Standards in Public Life to launch a review of the whole system of parliamentary pay and allowances, but it’s unlikely to report before the general election. Cameron today urged the prime minister to speed up the review, due to start in September, calling for “complete transparency” in relation to claims made by MPs.
Your thoughts?
P.S. On a slightly less serious note, which films do you think Smith’s husband was watching? Tongue-in-cheek title suggestions welcomed (but please remember this is a family-friendly news blog!)... Comments (1134)
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