Jacqui Smith to resign from cabinet

Jun 2 2009 by Jonathan Walker

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has told Gordon Brown she wants out of the Cabinet.

The MP for Redditch has volunteered to fall on her sword in the wake of the expenses scandal.

Ms Smith is to quit her Home Secretary role once Mr Brown shakes up the Government following the European and local elections.

She is one of two West Midland MPs to tell the Prime Minister they want to leave the Government. Tom Watson (Lab West Bromwich East), a Cabinet Office Minister, is the other.

A source close to the Home Secretary said she had been “hurt” by revelations about her expenses claims, and spoke to Prime Minister Gordon Brown about her plans to stand down about two months ago.

The source said she was planning to defend her Redditch seat at the next general election.

A No 10 spokeswoman dismissed reports that Ms Smith is set to resign as Home Secretary as “reshuffle speculation”.

Ms Smith faced humiliation after her husband submitted a receipt to the Commons for watching adult films.

And she faced criticism for claiming her family home as a second home under the MPs’ allowances scheme while lodging with her sister in London.

A Home Office spokesman refused to comment on the resignation speculation.

Labour had a majority of 2,716 in Ms Smith’s Worcestershire seat, which will be a key target for the Conservatives at the next election.

Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes also announced that she would leave her post in the reshuffle, expected within a week, although she stressed that was for personal and family reasons.