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Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith should not be given a peerage, parliamentarians warned today.
Ms Smith's chances of clinging on to her Redditch seat are also looking increasingly unlikely after she was forced to apologise to the Commons over her second home expenses.
Parliament's sleaze watchdog found that she wrongly declared a house she shared with her sister in London as her main residence, allowing her to claim £64,240 for her family home in Redditch between 2006 and 2009.
She was not forced to repay any money, but her constituents are campaigning against her re-election.
Home secretaries are traditionally elevated to the upper chamber, but Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "The report's findings are pretty damning. It would be very odd to reward that sort of behaviour with a peerage."
Former Commons Speaker Michael Martin yesterday took his seat in the Lords despite being the first person to be forced from the post for more than 300 years.
Reader views (15)
Both the house's of lords and commons are riddled with sleaze and greed,they are a constant reminder of the massive class barrier that exists between cosy rich politicians and the poor wretched public who they laughingly claim to represent,they should both be abolished and those within thrown on the dole, they have ceased to conduct themselves in a democratic manner.
- Auf Deutsch, Stalinist Britain., 15/10/2009 11:24
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No way SMITH should be allowed back in common and never get a job in finance or in public services. I think public should sue her for fraud and misuse of her power in the post to gain such rewards. If it was a "Joe blog" from a low post civil servant I am sure government would have would have sued the person plus make them pay back the money. My advice to people who have committed such “A called Mistake” should make an appointment with commons to apologise and then keep money and not be jailed or serve community service until all the money is re-cooped back. If that does not work then appeal to court (no win no fee basis)....UK gov is mad and 100% no vote for labour. 64k would pay a two people salary p.a. in UK. My advice would be for Labour party is to all it member to pay back or be ready to get sacked we 2.47 million people on job seeker ready to apply for a job and we sure we will suitable candidate available.
- K Patel, London, 14/10/2009 20:10
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The House of Lords should be disbanded, they serve no useful purpose and cost the taxpayer a great deal.
- Mark, London, 14/10/2009 18:37
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Ennoblement to Jacqui Smith really stretches credibility too far. Many of the people sitting in the House of Lords have turned the whole thing into a joke.
- Martin, London, 14/10/2009 17:05
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The Emperor Caligula offered his race horse Incitatus a place in the Roman Senate. So why not Jacqui for the Lords?
- Alex, London, 14/10/2009 16:01
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When they bestowed the title on Gorbals Mick I thought they had hurled the final insult at tax payers - but if they award Smith with one this would be a step too far.
- R.F.York, Yorks, UK, 14/10/2009 15:31
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The whole point of making the Upper House non-hereditary was so that sleaze-bags who'd lost credibility and had little hope of winning anything in a public election could stay on the gravy-train by being promoted to it: it's kind of in their interests to help each other out, in case it's their turn in the lime-light next. Just ask Lord Mandy . . .
- Roz, France, 14/10/2009 14:19
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In short, Jacqui Smith simply does NOT deserve a peerage . . . End of discussion!
- Fraser, Telford Park, 14/10/2009 13:35
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This cannot be serious! How can a Home Secretary that was incapable of undertaking the job she was, by her own admission, possibly consider a post in the House of Lords?
The hypocrisy is magnificent - the credibility of the House of Lords has been questioned by NuLabour and now there is a possibility of a self-confessed incompetent being put there on the back of historical precedent which Tone, Gord and their mates have spent the last 11 years trying to rid us of . Please can somebody tell me when it is all over!
- Jimbob, Suffolk, 14/10/2009 13:20
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Most of the public wonder why Speaker Martin was enabled to join the Lords so what's the difference in the case of Jacqui Smith?
- Darnthesafetynet, London W11 1NR, 14/10/2009 13:19
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The cases of Lord Gorbals and Mrs Kinnock were bad enough but to elevate Smith to the House of Lords would be even worse. It is high time that the Upper House ceased to use the titles of Lord & Baroness. It is a farce.
- William, London, 14/10/2009 13:02
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This is outrageous, an affront to any notion of justice. This woman appears to have committed to what most people would consider fraud. We are told that not only can she keep the money, but will go the Lords!!!!!!! I am sure I am not alone, but the only place I think she should go to is a court, where her expenses can be judged by a jury.
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties, 14/10/2009 13:01
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Well disgraced speaker Gorbals Mick got in ... maybe they're using the Lords as a prison?
- Paul, London, 14/10/2009 12:55
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Joe Public is curious to know WHY the sleaze watchdog (with barely any teeth!) refuses to force Piggy Smiff to return to the taxpayer the £64,000.00+ she obtained on her second home?
The facts are PIGGY SMIFF has ONE home. That is her MAIN HOME in Redditch.
If Piggy Smiff was shacking up in her sister's box room for at most three nights every week, HOW can Piggy Smiff designate her sister's home as her MAIN HOME?
This business stinks to high heaven.
WHERE ARE THE POLICE?
WHERE ARE THE HANDCUFFS?
ONE LAW FOR JOE PUBLIC AND AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LAW FOR MP's.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 14/10/2009 10:49
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Give her directions to the local Costco and a few Nectar points - off you go sunshine, that's your lot...!
Great Britain, the land of judicial reviews and inquiries, and zero common sense...
- Scrappy-Doo, London, 14/10/2009 10:32
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