Home Secretary: Reforming MP's expenses would have created extra work for my staff

Jacqui Smith has launched an astonishing defence of her decision to vote against stricter rules on MPs' expenses, claiming the reforms would have created extra work for her staff.

The Home Secretary sparked outrage earlier this month when she opposed a shake-up aimed at preventing abuse of Westminster's lavish allowances system.

Miss Smith was one of five Cabinet ministers who voted to defeat the reforms on a day of shame for the Commons.

Asked on Sky News about her decision, she insisted yesterday: 'I am very strongly
in favour of reform. I think it is right that all of my expenses are made public.

'But I want that to be a system that actually doesn't cost the taxpayer more money to administer and doesn't make my constituency staff have to spend their time acting as accountants rather than looking after my constituents.

'That is what was at the heart of my opposition to those particular proposals.'

But critics last night condemned Miss Smith as a 'hypocrite'.

Liberal Democrat frontbencher Norman Baker said: 'She clearly did not want reform or more transparency badly enough or she would have voted for it.

'Some MPs think they are not going to be around after the next election and have decided to cut and run with what public money they can get away with.'

Mark Wallace, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'It is all very well Jacqui Smith saying she supports transparency but when push came to shove she acted like a hypocrite and voted to keep details of her taxpayer-funded expenses under wraps.'