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Brought down by husband’s porn and sister’s spare room
Joe Murphy and Nicholas Cecil02.06.09
Jacqui Smith's career was destroyed in the cruellest way possible, with revelations that her husband watched porn movies in their constituency home while she was working in London.
Added to that, she was accused of milking her Commons expenses by putting down her sister's spare room in London as a main residence so that she could claim on her family home in Redditch.
Leaked details of her claims — down to a cheap bathplug — were humiliating to see.
As well as husband and assistant Richard Timney's viewing of two adult films for £5 each, she was seen to have bought him a £240 Apple iPhone on her office expenses.
She billed taxpayers for her accountancy costs and £1,600 for three digital cameras and a camcorder over three years.
A source close to her said the disclosures had “hurt”. Critics said these were self-inflicted wounds, however.
Labour's Leader in the Commons Harriet Harman called Ms Smith “an outstanding Home Secretary”.
The former chief whip was a surprise choice for the job, in Gordon Brown's first reshuffle in summer 2007.
A former teacher, she had impressed as Schools Minister who won support for reforms, but was considered too close to Tony Blair to rise under the Brown regime.
As Home Secretary she handled the 2007 car bombs, advanced new anti-terror powers and backed ID cards. She was beset by embarrassing leaks from a Home Office mole, however, and backed the police raid on Tory MP Damian Green's office.
She plans to fight her seat in ultra-marginal constituency, Redditch, where a 2,716 majority has been whittled down further by boundary changes.
Reader views (2)
Her career was destroyed because she was incompetent and presided over a series of debacles at the Home Office, not because of expenses.
Jean de Menezes, G-20 policing, use of anti-terror police against Damien Green, 42 day detention, immigration, Tamil protests, national ID cards, pay dispute with police, the list of her failures goes on and on.
They are the reasons she has been ousted, the Home Office is too important to remain in the hands of a serial incompetent.
- Manny Goldstein, London, UK
I believe Ms Smith was the first to deploy the now classic "it was within the rules" response on being found to have engaged in conduct that most consider to be downright wrong.
Moreover, her concerted attempts to whittle away at our freedoms and right to privacy served to demonstrate a breathtaking indifference to the fundamentals of our democracy.
Her part in the Gurkha fiasco, which to most right minded people was a no brainer, should also not be forgotten.
It is difficult to imagine that she will be missed. Let us hope that this first Cabinet casualty will lead to many more followed by an early election.
- John C, Leatherhead, UK
