Tweet
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is to resign her Government post in wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, according to reports. Skip related content
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090602/...t-dba1618.html
Sources close to Ms Smith revealed that she told Prime Minister Gordon Brown two months ago that she wanted to step down as Home Secretary in the next reshuffle.
The source said she had been "hurt" by revelations about her expenses claims and spoke to Mr Brown.
But the source said she was planning to defend her Redditch seat at the next General Election.
Ms Smith faced criticism for claiming her family home as a second home under the MPs' allowances scheme while lodging with her sister in London.
She also faced humiliation after her husband submitted a receipt to the Commons for watching adult films.
It comes as Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said she will step down as an MP at the next General Election.
The MP for Stretford and Urmston said her decision was due to "family circumstances" and had nothing to do with the row over MPs' expenses.
Ms Hughes said she would also be leaving the Government at a reshuffle, expected after this week's Euro and local elections.
In a letter to Mr Brown, Ms Hughes said: "I would not have chosen the current appalling climate to announce my decision when so many members are resigning for reasons to do with their Parliamentary allowances.
"I want to make it absolutely clear that this has nothing whatsoever to do with my decision or the reason for making it public now."
It comes as former health secretary Patricia Hewitt announced she will be leaving Parliament at the next election.
And the 60-year-old, who left the Government when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, also denied her decision was related to the expenses row.
Ms Hewitt, the MP for Leicester West since 1997, said she wanted to spend more time with her family.
She is the latest MP to announce their retirement since the expenses scandal broke.
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.
She also claimed for furniture, including £194 for blinds delivered to her London home, the paper reported.
But Ms Hewitt said her decision was family-motivated, saying: "I did initially want to serve another term. But I feel the time is right.
"The truth is that after 13 years as an MP and ten years in Government, I have not seen enough of my family. They have paid a high price for that."
Labour MP David Chaytor has also announced he will not fight the next election following revelations that he claimed expenses on 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.
He said that, for the coming months, his "priority must be to explain my errors following allegations over the use of parliamentary allowances".
He added: "This will be time-consuming and stressful. I have referred my case to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and will co-operate fully with his inquiry
no doubt to be replaced by some other do gooder or a monkey from London Zoo
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090602/...t-dba1618.html
Sources close to Ms Smith revealed that she told Prime Minister Gordon Brown two months ago that she wanted to step down as Home Secretary in the next reshuffle.
The source said she had been "hurt" by revelations about her expenses claims and spoke to Mr Brown.
But the source said she was planning to defend her Redditch seat at the next General Election.
Ms Smith faced criticism for claiming her family home as a second home under the MPs' allowances scheme while lodging with her sister in London.
She also faced humiliation after her husband submitted a receipt to the Commons for watching adult films.
It comes as Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said she will step down as an MP at the next General Election.
The MP for Stretford and Urmston said her decision was due to "family circumstances" and had nothing to do with the row over MPs' expenses.
Ms Hughes said she would also be leaving the Government at a reshuffle, expected after this week's Euro and local elections.
In a letter to Mr Brown, Ms Hughes said: "I would not have chosen the current appalling climate to announce my decision when so many members are resigning for reasons to do with their Parliamentary allowances.
"I want to make it absolutely clear that this has nothing whatsoever to do with my decision or the reason for making it public now."
It comes as former health secretary Patricia Hewitt announced she will be leaving Parliament at the next election.
And the 60-year-old, who left the Government when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, also denied her decision was related to the expenses row.
Ms Hewitt, the MP for Leicester West since 1997, said she wanted to spend more time with her family.
She is the latest MP to announce their retirement since the expenses scandal broke.
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.
She also claimed for furniture, including £194 for blinds delivered to her London home, the paper reported.
But Ms Hewitt said her decision was family-motivated, saying: "I did initially want to serve another term. But I feel the time is right.
"The truth is that after 13 years as an MP and ten years in Government, I have not seen enough of my family. They have paid a high price for that."
Labour MP David Chaytor has also announced he will not fight the next election following revelations that he claimed expenses on 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.
He said that, for the coming months, his "priority must be to explain my errors following allegations over the use of parliamentary allowances".
He added: "This will be time-consuming and stressful. I have referred my case to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and will co-operate fully with his inquiry
no doubt to be replaced by some other do gooder or a monkey from London Zoo