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UK interior minister seen quitting government

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-03 09:13

LONDON: British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith plans to resign from her government post, according to media reports, creating further turmoil for a government battered by an expenses scandal sweeping through parliament.

Smith's reputation suffered in March when a leaked copy of her parliamentary expenses claim showed she charged taxpayers for the rental of two pornographic movies by her husband.

Britons are furious that many members of parliament (MPs) have milked the expenses system, claiming from taxpayers the cost of everything from dog food to cleaning their swimming pools at a time when many people are struggling in a recession.

Support for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party has plunged and voters angry about the expenses scandal are rapidly losing faith in politicians, opinion polls showed.

Brown faces a rout in European and local elections tomorrow and is expected to reshuffle his team in the next few days ahead of a general election due within a year.

"It is just speculation. We are not commenting any further," a spokesman for the prime minister's office said when asked about the reports that Smith would stand down from a job overseeing the police, counter-terrorism and immigration.

All the main parties have been hit by a series of disclosures about their expenses published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper over three-and-a-half weeks.

Labour, in power since 1997, appears likely to suffer most in the polls having presided over a now-discredited system.

Some commentators say a poor poll showing by Labour could lead to another effort to unseat Brown and head off seemingly inevitable defeat to the Conservatives in the next election.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson, a more media-savvy figure than the dour Brown, is tipped as a potential replacement.

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon became the latest senior politician to agree to pay back money after being accused of claiming allowances on two homes at the same time. He said he would repay 384 pounds ($629).

Finance minister Alistair Darling apologized on Monday and said he would repay 350 pounds after overclaiming expenses.

Reuters