Home Secretary Jacqui Smith resigns over expenses scandal
Jun 3 2009 by Jon Smith and Daniel Bentley, Press Association
Under-fire Foreign Secretary is taking voters for granted, says Tory peer
DAVID Miliband was accused of taking voters for granted after declaring he looked forward to representing South Shields for “years to come”.
North East Tory peer Michael Bates said it was an “insult” to presume how the South Shields electorate would vote and branded Mr Miliband as “out-of-touch” on expenses.
His comments came after the Foreign Secretary yesterday insisted his own claims were “correct” when questioned by The Journal.
It has been reported Mr Miliband claimed almost £30,000 for doing up his £120,000 constituency home over five years, spending up to £180 every three months on the garden.
At the bottom of one receipt for £132.96 in April 2008, his gardener was said to have written a note questioning whether some of the work was necessary. Asked if had repaid any expenses, still employed a gardener and would be re-elected in South Shields, Mr Miliband said: “I believe that South Shields has a fine record in never voting for a Conservative MP and returning Labour MPs since 1906.
“And it is up to the people of South Shields to decide who they elect but I will certainly be putting myself forward in South Shields and I look forward to representing them for many years to come.”
Referring to his “gardening issues”, he said the Prime Minister and other party leaders had agreed MPs could only claim for mortgage interest, council and utility bills ahead of an independent committee looking at the system delivering its conclusions.
He said: “I look forward to any conclusions of the independent scrutiny panel that has been established. But I think that the claims I have made have been right.” But Lord Bates hit out at his comments about representing South Shields into the future, saying: “This is a problem for the Labour party generally.
“They just take seats for granted. The electorate are in a pretty angry mood at the moment and to show such presumption at the outcome of the next election stands ill at ease with someone who is supposed to be our chief diplomat and Foreign Secretary.”
Mr Miliband also appeared to challenge Gordon Brown by staking his claim to remain Foreign Secretary amid speculation he will be moved – potentially to the Home Office – in an imminent reshuffle.
And he refused to definitively rule out a leadership bid in the future, while stressing his support for the Prime Minister.
The Foreign Secretary also blasted the BNP, saying it would be a “day of enormous shame” if the country that led the fight against the Nazis sent the “political descendants” of fascism to the European Parliament in elections this week.
