Ministers abandon Brown in run-up to Euro poll

Published on Tuesday 2 June 2009 21:55

GORDON Brown's authority suffered a devastating blow yesterday when a succession of ministers and MPs lined up to abandon his government just two days before the crucial European elections.

In one of the worst days for the Prime Minister, Jacqui Smith announced she was resigning as Home Secretary – the first Cabinet casualty of the MPs' expenses scandal. Children's minister Beverley Hughes and Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson revealed they were also standing down from their posts.

Meanwhile, shamed Labour backbencher David Chaytor resigned over his expenses claims and former health secretary Patricia Hewitt said she was also quitting Parliament.

Mr Chaytor, with three other Labour MPs caught up in the expenses scandal – Scots-born Ian Gibson, Margaret Moran and Elliot Morley – were barred by a Labour panel from standing for the party at the next election. The timing fuelled speculation that Mr Brown's government was out of control 48 hours before what are expected to be abysmal polling results for Labour in the council and MEP elections tomorrow.

The disclosures, which came within hours of each other but appeared to be uncoordinated, also undermined his expected Cabinet reshuffle next week.

There was further pressure when the SNP and Plaid Cymru revealed they would use an opposition debate next Wednesday to trigger a vote for parliament to be dissolved.

Angus Robertson, the SNP's Westminster leader, said the motion was to restore confidence in the political system following the expenses scandal.

"It is not just the UK government that is out of step with public opinion, but parliament itself," he said. "The only way to sort this mess out is for Parliament to be dissolved and for the people to have their say in a general election. There can be no argument against the entire House of Commons submitting itself to a vote of the people who elected them."

Mr Brown was hoping to bury unwelcome news from the polling stations tomorrow with a dramatic change of personnel in government on Monday.

But hopes of that were wrecked by the announcement from Ms Smith. It is believed she told Mr Brown two months ago that she was going to stand down from the government to concentrate on fighting her Tory challenger in her marginal Redditch constituency.

Sources close to Ms Smith said she wanted to shield her family from more damage over her expenses. She had been "hurt" because her receipts were scrutinised before the wider story about MPs' expenses emerged.

Ms Smith's husband, Richard Timney, who works as her assistant, billed taxpayers for two porn films. He later repaid the money.

Ms Smith was the most high-profile of five Labour politicians to announce they were quitting the government or standing down at the election.

Equally damaging for Mr Brown, however, was the news that his close ally, Mr Watson, would stand down from the government when the reshuffle takes place. However, he will reportedly continue to advise the Prime Minister and help organise campaigns.

Ms Hewitt, who is among Labour's more experienced MPs, also announced she would be retiring from Parliament, as did Ms Hughes. Both insisted they were quitting for family reasons, rather than because of the expenses row that has engulfed them.

Mr Chaytor, the Bury North MP – who had been embroiled in controversy when it emerged that he had claimed 13,000 for a mortgage that had already been paid off – also announced he would not stand again as an MP.

This was just several hours before Labour confirmed it would ban him and three other MPs – Elliot Morley, Margaret Moran and Ian Gibson – from standing as Labour candidates.

Mr Gibson, an outspoken rebel, was the only one of the group who had not announced he was standing down.

Mr Chaytor said that, for the coming months, his "priority must be to explain my errors following allegations over the use of parliamentary allowances".

"This will be time-consuming and stressful," he went on, adding that he would not have time for constituency campaigning.

Jim Devine, the Livingston MP, will also appear before the "star chamber" over his claims from a company that reportedly did not exist. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Ms Hughes, the children's minister, said she would not stand again as the MP for Stretford and Urmston for "personal reasons".

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."

Ms Hughes rented a second home in London where she claimed 801.60 for re-upholstering furniture, 718 for a chair and 435 for curtains and bedding.

Ben Wallace, the shadow Scottish minister, who reported Ms Smith to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over her expenses, said the Brown government was "falling apart".

"What I think is amazing is the total collapse of management of government, the fact that some people are jumping ship without even informing the Prime Minister, it seems.

"It is just falling apart. Is the Prime Minister in control or not, people are going to be asking."

But Mr Brown's official spokesman played down talk of a mass exodus. "There are lots of precedents for people announcing their intention to step down at a future point so I don't think any of this is particularly unusual," he said, adding Mr Brown was confident ministers were focusing on the right issues.

Mr Brown's attempts to bring forward a national debate on constitutional renewal will also be buried under the flood of resignations and the expected dire local and European elections.

&#149 Armed forces minister Bob Ainsworth last night said he had been within "the spirit and the letter" of expenses rules after it was reported he was paid nearly 6,000 for work on his second home and asked the taxpayer to stump up for a 1,000 television and a 2,225 sofa. The work included fitting oak beams and "hacking off" Artex.

Gerri Peev - Conspiracy theories abound in the Westminster village – from a stitch-up to a clear-out

WAS the rush of Labour resignations, two days before crucial elections, the sort of co-ordinated stitch-up that could once have been the pride of Gordon Brown's own allies?

On the surface, the announcement by five leading MPs that they would either quit the government or parliament could only be a strike at the heart of the Prime Minister.

Several of those announcing their intentions to go – Jacqui Smith, Beverley Hughes and Patricia Hewitt – were key Blairite women.

If Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, reveals today that she too wants to leave the Cabinet, it will be seen as a personal blow against the Prime Minister.

Ms Smith and Ms Blears have already been tipped for the sack. It severely undermines a Prime Minister when his decisions are pre-empted by MPs announcing their departures instead.

The consensus about Ms Smith seems to be that she jumped before she was pushed.

But one of those to step down yesterday was not a Blair follower. Tom Watson, the Cabinet Office minister, was one of the envoys, dispatched by Mr Brown himself to give Mr Blair his marching orders.

Mr Brown made a point of rewarding those loyal to him, so it comes as a mystery that Mr Watson is leaving the government. However, it could also be a compromise move, to pave the way for Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, to be elevated to the position of Chancellor.

Mr Watson's involvement also fuelled a conspiracy theory that perhaps Mr Brown was endorsing the co-ordinated resignations. He did not mind MPs "outing" themselves because it would allow him to clear the field for Monday's anticipated reshuffle.

But Mr Brown must also be worried that the MPs' expenses revelations have not yet run dry. Indeed, some are being revisited. And there is still the prospect of police inquiries.

Could the new Home Secretary also have his or her expenses picked over by Scotland Yard?

One thing the expenses scandal has exposed is that MPs are obsessed with their own fate. The clamour of resignations could have been an attempt by individuals to bury their announcements under each other's departures.

More worryingly than even an attempt to destabilise Mr Brown, it also betrays Labour's lack of hope.

MPs told The Scotsman they were not surprised that there was a stampede for the exits, and warned that many more would follow.

Some of the senior MPs departing are still agile enough to have second careers, and perhaps lucrative directorships.

The pressure in the light of the expenses revelations has been unbearable for many, even those who have made relatively minor transgressions.

Then, to throw chaos on top of confusion, the SNP announced it was using its Opposition Day debate as an attempt to trigger a vote to allow the dissolution of parliament. Labour MPs are likely to overthrow this as few will be in the mood to face their electorates, but nevertheless it is a clever move.

Most worryingly for Mr Brown, this will not be the end of the exodus. Many more Labour MPs feel it is not worth the campaigning effort or taking the fury from constituents to stand for a party that appears destined to lose the next election.