Smith: Expenses revelations were ‘horrible’
By Liz Stephens
The row over expenses was “horrible” and put “immense pressure” on Jacqui Smith’s family, the former home secretary has admitted.
Speaking to the BBC World Service this morning, she admitted the revelations that she had claimed for two adult films watched by her husband had been “intensely embarrassing”.
Ms Smith became the focus of media attention weeks before the Daily Telegraph started publishing stories about other MPs expenses. Being the first to be put under such intense scrutiny had been difficult, she said, but later revelations showed she had not been “the worst sinner”.
Ms Smith also revealed she had not intended for news of her resignation to leak out before the cabinet reshuffle and that she had told Gordon Brown of her wish to resign back in April.
She also defended her decision to designate her family home in Redditch as her second home, saying: “I stuck with what the rules had been before.”
She believed, aside from the claims for the films, she had met the “high standards that I set myself” and did not feel “personally ashamed”.
But the expenses issue had caused “considerable damage” to politicians’ reputations, she agreed.
