Jacqui Smith resigns as Home Secretary
- 00:01:19
- ITN
Jacqui Smith resigns as Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith is to resign as Home Secretary in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal. Sources close to Ms Smith say she told Gordon Brown two months ago she wanted to step down from the Cabinet at the next reshuffle. The source added that she had been "hurt" by revelations about her expenses claims but was still planning to contest her Redditch seat at the next General Election. She has a majority of just 2,700. Ms Smith was ridiculed in the press when it emerged her husband submitted an £10 expenses claim for pornographic films. She was also criticised for designating her family home as a second home under the MPs' allowances scheme, while lodging with her sister in London. Earlier, three other Labour MPs - Children's Minister Beverley Hughes, former health secretary Patricia Hewitt and David Chaytor - all announced their intention to stand down at the next general election. Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson, a close ally of Mr Brown, is expected to stand down from the Government but continue in an advisory role. And the career of Alistair Darling appears to be hanging by a thread after he was forced to apologise for, and repay, hundreds of pounds he should not have claimed. The Chancellor of the Exchequer even had to revise the amount to be repaid after getting his sums wrong. After telling broadcasters the figure was £350, an aide confirmed the true sum was almost double that, at £668. Beverley Hughes insisted her decision to step down as an MP was due to "family circumstances" and had nothing to do with the expenses row. Ms Hughes will also be leaving her Government post at the reshuffle, which is expected to follow this week's European and local elections. Earlier, former health secretary Patricia Hewitt announced she will leave Parliament at the next election. She too denied her decision was related to the expenses row. According to the Daily Telegraph, her claims included £920 in legal fees when she moved out of a flat in her constituency before staying in hotels and then renting another flat in Leicester. Labour MP David Chaytor also announced he will not fight the next election following revelations that he claimed £13,000 for a mortgage which did not exist. The backbencher has already been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending a "star chamber" inquiry into his claims. He said he would not seek re-election for Bury North after discussions with colleagues, local party figures and senior Labour officials at the weekend.
ITN | June 2, 2009
