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Home Secretary faces 'sleaze' probe
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Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is facing a parliamentary "sleaze" investigation over her second home allowance.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon, has written to Ms Smith calling on her to explain the £116,000 which she has claimed since becoming an MP.
Ms Smith insisted she had done nothing wrong and said she was "very happy" to answer the commissioner's questions.
Mr Lyon had previously rejected two complaints into her decision to designate her sister's house in south-east London - where she stays when she is in the capital - as her main home. The move has enabled her to collect at least £116,000 over the years in second home allowances on her constituency home in Redditch, Worcestershire, where her family lives.
It is understood that the latest complaint was submitted by two of her London neighbours, Dominic and Jessica Taplin, who are challenging her claims over the amount of time she spent there.
A spokesman for Mr Lyon said: "He has accepted a complaint against Jacqui Smith and is following the procedure laid down for him."
Mrs Taplin was quoted in a newspaper as describing Ms Smith's claim that she spent most of the week there as a "fabrication". The couple claimed that often she was there for just two days a week and rarely spent Sunday nights there.
Ms Smith insisted her accommodation arrangements were fully in line with Commons rules.
She said: "I sought advice about the arrangements that I make for living in two places like lots of MPs have to. I followed the advice that I was given and I followed the rules. And therefore I'm very happy to answer further questions that the independent commissioner puts to me."
Ms Smith was said to be confident that she could refute the allegations made by Mr and Mrs Taplin, insisting there were "factual inaccuracies" in their account to the Mail on Sunday.
Reader views (20)
No doubt her pal - Mr Sleaze himself - the Speaker of the House, will protect her from any finding of guilt in this matter.
- Eoin Mcgreeghan, Derry, NI, 18/02/2009 23:49
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Sell shares, buy white paint! There will be a huge demand when this enquiry presents its conclusions.
- Lawrence, Spain, 18/02/2009 23:42
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There's also the issue --Daily Telegraph (sorry!)of 21 Dec 2008-- of employing her husband, Richard Timmey, as a 'researcher.' He writes letters to the Redditch Advertiser to defend her policies without mentioning that he's her husband!
And this is the politican who gets on her moral high horse and tells punters that they have 'no excuses' for paying prostitutes and who seeks to make it a crime to go with a prostitute who is 'controlled for another's gain,' (Clause 13, Crime & Policing Bill) with no clarity as to whether this narrowly means a 'sex slave' (in which case, fair enough) or any agency escort, working (wisely or not) of her own free will. Many think that the term is deliberately ambiguous so as to frighten clients away.
It is truly objectionable that someone so mired in sleaze should seek to introduce bad laws in order to impose their moral views on others.
- David L, London UK, 18/02/2009 21:43
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Voting is now akin to aiding and abetting !
- Wills, Soton, 18/02/2009 19:47
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Why can MPs claim these massive expenses when the rest of the country have to find their expenses out of the wages they get and have to take packed lunches and flasks to their workplaces. The whole thing is a nonsense and time it was stopped. and MPs don't need to be in he commons EVERY day of the week unless
there is a vote or something. Only a handful have anything to say if ever. One gravy train which is never late.
Awesome Geronimo Leeds
- Awesome Geronimo, Leeds UK, 18/02/2009 19:39
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a sleaze probe is it?
it might be as well to probe deeper, perhaps beyond the
individual and further into the murky depths of the
entire expences system and how many and how much is
siphoned off. it may well be to the letter of the
antiquated regulation, but is it to the spirit?
we expect and demand more from our 'honourable' and
elected representatives.the wind of change is blowing
and the writing is long on the wall. we seek trust,
respect, honesty, truth and integrity.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 18/02/2009 18:56
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So corrupt and morally bankrupt that she cant see any problem with her behavior.
- Adrian Ormerod, Bedford England, 18/02/2009 18:34
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So glad that the Standards Commissioner is at last going to take the latest copmplaint seriously. If this exploitation of MPs' expenses is not sorted out now, we are all lining up for a continuation of this inescapably iniquitous practice by MPs.
Anyway, why did the Commissioner turn down the two previous complaints? Hope no-one is going to suggest that he was a soft-touch replacement for predecessor Alexander Graham.
Let's hope that the Inland Revenue is applying due diligence to Ms Smith's "home address" re TV licence, bank a/c, as well as to Ms Smith's sister's declaration of her income from her sister for "rent".
- Catherine Lombard, London, UK, 18/02/2009 18:20
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Ms Smith is being, at best, disingenuous. She may be 'abiding' by the rules but she is clearly not adhering to their spirit. Her London residence - bereft of her husband and children - is, plainly, not her 'main home'. As she is likely to escape formal censure, she merits suitable ridicule and condemnation from the public prints.
- Adrian King, London UK, 18/02/2009 17:26
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I have decided to manufacture whitewash - probably the only growth industry under Labour.
- Keith Price, Luton England, 18/02/2009 17:12
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I'm just poopong down to the bookies to bet my pension that she will be cleared.
- Keith, UK, 18/02/2009 16:47
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Well, Mr Lyon having read the comments in the press decided to 'investigate' so he could clear her officially.
If she only spent 2/3 evenings a week in a terraced property, and claiming this to be her primary residence (no doubt 21/2 other days traveling by coach and horses to Redditch), clearly then maybe (but how much did she claim for traveling?)
Nice points Dave, but will Mr Lyon even look at that? Let us not forget her Bank, TV licence, address given out to credit card companies, H of C for home address, and the info provided to insurers and whether the Redditch home is in his name alone or jointly.
- Hugh, Middx, 18/02/2009 16:27
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Ha ha! Banged to rights!
Hope she gets the order of the boot!
- Peepsy, England, 18/02/2009 15:33
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You would think that after all the bleating about the bankers bonuses that MP's would have their house (pun not intended) in order.
Pigs trough..... trough pigs?
They never learn!
- R King, UK, 18/02/2009 14:45
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It will be a whitewash and the public know it!
- George, gillingham, 18/02/2009 14:27
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I would presume that this enquiry will show that she is on the electoral role at the London address. That her car is registered ,insured to this London address and paying the higher insurance premium and I would presume registered with a London Doctor.
- Dave Ed, Shrewsbury, UK, 18/02/2009 14:00
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Not holding my breath that the complaint will get anywhere ... given Nu Labour's talent for wriggling out of any suggestion that they are a load of seedy, greedy opportunists.
- Gabrielle, London, 18/02/2009 13:46
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C'mon the times when Jacqui Smith was at her sister's flat will be measured by the police record of their attendance. Why do I have the feeling that these records will have been destroyed as a matter of 'routine'.
This allowance might have been within the rules but it is dishonest.
- Michael Murphy, brightlingsea essex, 18/02/2009 13:41
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Why did John Lyon turn down two previous requests for an enquiry into the allegations? What is he covering up? If Smith has fraudulently claimed up to £200,000 of tax payers' money then we want to know what will be done about it. She is no better than a benefits cheat. It would be an insult to law abiding citizens to allow this scandal to be swept under the carpet.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 18/02/2009 13:16
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I should think so too. If I moved jobs I might expect relocation costs at the very most. I would not expect to get 2nd home expenses and certainly not in the way this shady lady has.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 18/02/2009 13:05
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