BRITISH HOME secretary Jacqui Smith surprised Westminster yesterday by pre-empting Gordon Brown’s planned cabinet reshuffle with the announcement that she is standing down from office.
Although apparently resolved to defend her marginal seat in the general election, Ms Smith was immediately seen as the most high-ranking casualty to date of a Westminster expenses scandal that has also cast a question mark over the careers of the chancellor, Alistair Darling, transport secretary Geoff Hoon and communities secretary Hazel Blears.
As three more Labour MPs confirmed their intention to leave parliament, Conservative leader David Cameron stepped up his campaign for an early general election – this time with the introduction of a Bill promising the UK a vote on the Lisbon Treaty on the same day as the Irish referendum expected in the autumn.
Mr Cameron declined to say what he would do if he arrived in 10 Downing Street after all other EU states had completed the Lisbon ratification process. But he said heavy defeats for Labour in tomorrow’s European elections would “pile the pressure” on Mr Brown to allow a referendum.
Apart from the breach of convention permitting the prime minister to announce the composition of his government, the surprise at Westminster was that Ms Smith – along with children’s minister Beverley Hughes, and cabinet office minister Tom Watson – should announce her intention to leave government just days before crucial elections for the Labour Party.
Deputy leader Harriet Harman dismissed suggestions that "the wheels were falling off" the government. Mr Brown faced a struggle to maintain the appearance of being in control, however, as the Daily Telegraph's ongoing expenses revelations showed their potential to dictate something of the size of the cabinet reshuffle expected in the immediate aftermath of Labour's predicted drubbing in the European and English county council elections.
Mr Brown himself appeared to cut Mr Darling adrift on Monday, declining three invitations to confirm that he would remain in position next week. The Liberal Democrats have already called for Mr Darling’s dismissal or resignation following the revelations that he “played the system” by “flipping” the designation of his primary and second homes four times in as many years. While stopping short of that, Mr Cameron said Mr Brown should either back or sack his chancellor. Mr Brown had again defended Mr Darling, saying he was sure his friend had done nothing wrong, before the chancellor admitted one mistake as a result of which he would pay £668 (€772) back to the taxpayer.
Yesterday it was Mr Hoon’s turn to say sorry for “an inadvertent administrative error” after it emerged he had claimed in advance for a number of bills on his second home in Derbyshire in the same year as he made separate claims on a different second home in London. Mr Hoon apologised “unreservedly” and confirmed he would pay back £384.
The SNP and Plaid Cymru, meanwhile, plan to table a Commons motion next week calling for the dissolution of parliament.