Jacqui Smith says sorry over expenses
Former home secretary Jacqui Smith apologises to Commons for designating property she shared with sister as main home
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By Tom Powell. |  |
Monday, 12, Oct 2009 04:52
By Matthew Champion.
Jacqui Smith has offered an unreserved apology to the House of Commons for designating a property she shared with her sister as her main home.
On the day when MPs finally returned to Westminster after the summer recess, an independent report said the former home secretary had broken the rules by claiming generous expenses on the home where her family lived in Redditch, Worcestershire.
By her own admission Ms Smith became the "poster girl" of the expenses scandal after it was revealed she claimed £22,948 in allowances for her family home, which she said was her 'second home', in 2009-08 and £157,631 in total.
She was also severely damaged by the revelation her husband had mistakenly claimed expenses for two adult movies watched at their family home.
After a six-month investigation, John Lyon, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, concluded Ms Smith was "in breach of the rules of the House from 2004 to 2009 in identifying the London residence she shared with her sister as her main home".
Read the full report
Standing up in the Commons today, Ms Smith said thanked the committee for its report and said she wanted to "apologise unreservedly to the House as I have already done so to my constituents".
"This claim should never have been made and the committee notes I paid it back as soon as possible," she said.
"The commissioner and committee acknowledge the London home is indeed a home... and the report makes clear I sought and received written advice from the parliamentary written authorities."
Ms Smith added that she spent more nights in London than in Redditch in three of the four years in question; owns only one home; and has never 'flipped' designation of her main home.
"There is no evidence the taxpayer would be any worse off on the basis of my decision," she said.
"But I accept I should have used my discretion to change my main home designation.
"I accept the conclusions [of the report] and therefore apologise to the House, and say sorry too to my constituents, who remain my number one priority.
"For too long this has overshadowed the work I do for them."