Smith faces calls to resign over sex films

Monday, 30 March 2009 11:10 AM

By Laura Miller

Prominent political figures are lining up to condemn Jacqui Smith in the wake of the sex films expenses scandal - the latest in a series to hit the Labour party - amid calls for her resignation.

Former shadow home secretary David Davis told Sky News: "I don't call for people to go unless I think there is absolutely a smoking gun but I just do think on this circumstance the sympathy for her will be even less than it otherwise would have been because she is not that good at her job."

But party leader David Cameron offered the home secretary support of a sort by saying he did not believe it was a resignation issue.

Bookmakers today made Ms Smith odds-on to be out of her job by the end of the year.

Ms Smith's day became even worse when the amount she claimed for a second home was revealed at £2,948, just £1,000 short of the maximum allowed.

Ms Smith is under investigation by the standards watchdog for claiming for a second home while living with her sister.

It would not be the first time there have been calls for Ms Smith's resignation.

In 2007 the Police Federation, which represents 140,000 officers in England and Wales, passed a vote of no confidence in the home secretary over her refusal to fulfil a promise to backdate a pay rise.

Mr Davis added: "It is very hard to believe. My first response was, under what category would this expense claim be? I didn't even know films were that expensive - claiming for films? I can't believe it."

The SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson echoed Mr Davis' criticism.

"These are serious allegations and only add to the impression that Labour is becoming engulfed in expenses sleaze."

The news comes shortly after Ms Smith came under fire for claiming taxpayer-funded housing allowances for her constituency home, despite listing her sister's house as her main residence.

"The ongoing allegations of expenses irregularities left the home secretary's credibility in tatters and present real questions over her future as a senior minister," said Mr Robertson.

"Along with Tony McNulty's expenses claims this entire issue is overwhelming Labour at Westminster."

Mr McNulty, the employment minister, is currently under investigation by a Commons watchdog over £60,000 he claimed as a "second home allowance" for his parent's house, even though he moved out in 2002.

Tory leader David Cameron accused Ms Smith of "dragging everyone down into the mire".

The revelations were "hugely embarrassing for her and the government", he told the BBC.

He called for "complete transparency" in the way MPs' expenses were handled, and said he had told his MPs: "If you can't defend what you are doing, don't do it. We've got to get public opinion with us."

However he stopped short of calling for Ms Smith's resignation at this time.

Gordon Brown said this morning that the issue is a personal matter for the home secretary.

He added that she has apologised for "mistakenly" filing an incorrect expenses claim - for a £67 television and broadband package allegedly including adult films - and that her husband, who viewed the X-rated films, has also apologised.

Now was the time for the home secretary to get back on with her job, he said.

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