Scandal of UK MPs’ expenses made ‘most shocking story of last 50 years’

July 12th, 2009 LONDON - Former British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has admitted that she was aware that her husband had been watching pornographic movies before the expenses scandal broke out. Jacqui resigned from her post after the humiliating revelation that she claimed taxpayer-funded allowances for the cost of two porn films watched by her partner Richard Timney, who later made a public apology.

June 18th, 2009 LONDON - Details of expenses claims by British members of parliament (MPs) were officially published online Thursday after their leak to a newspaper caused a political storm that threatened the very survival of the government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Claims made between 2004 and 2008 were made accessible to everyone following a High Court ruling demanding transparency under the Freedom of Information Act a year ago.

June 8th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's ruling Labour Party appeared Sunday to be heading for a mauling in the elections for the European Parliament as first results showed a sharp fall in support compared with 2004. Results in the North-East region, a Labour stronghold, were down by nine percent, compared with 2004.

June 5th, 2009 LONDON - A third British minister resigned from Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government late Thursday and called on the leader to step down. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell announced his resignation in a letter to Brown sent to several newspapers after polls had closed in European and local elections.

June 2nd, 2009 LONDON - The scandal over the abuse of parliamentary expenses moved closer to the core of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government Tuesday amid reports of an expected ministerial resignation and the admission of "errors" by two cabinet ministers. Unconfirmed reports said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith would step down from her post in a reshuffle expected to be undertaken by Brown in the wake of elections to the European parliament and local elections in Britain later this week.

June 2nd, 2009 UK transport chief acknowledges expenses mistakeLONDON — Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon vowed Tuesday to pay back a mistaken expenses claim, as the scandal over British lawmakers' expenses swept through Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Cabinet. Hoon promised to reimburse the taxpayer for 384 pounds ($630) and said he'd mistakenly claimed expenses on two different homes at the same time — including charges for home insurance and a gas supply.

June 2nd, 2009 UK Home Secretary to quit in expenses scandalLONDON — A scandal over lawmakers' expenses threatened to overwhelm Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government on Tuesday, as his minister for security and police prepared to quit and the future of several other senior figures was in doubt. Brown is coping with a raft of resignations after embarrassing details of lawmakers' expenses leaked out, and is expected to fire some senior ministers in response to public anger.

June 1st, 2009 UK Chancellor caught up in expense disputeLONDON — British Treasury chief Alastair Darling is the latest lawmaker to be accused of misusing public expenses. The Daily Telegraph reports that Darling filed claims for costs on an apartment he rented out while also claiming expenses for another home.

May 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Britain's junior Health Minister Ben Bradshaw has said that Members of Parliament accused of abusing the expenses system may go to jail. Bradshaw said any members shown to have broken the law should "face up to the consequences".

May 20th, 2009 LONDON - The British government Wednesday outlined plans for a reform of the discredited expenses system for parliamentarians at the centre of a scandal that has engulfed all the main political parties. The tougher rules, agreed by party leaders, would introduce a system of external regulation for expenses claims in order to 'put the reputation of parliament above reproach', deputy Labour Party leader Harriet Harman said.

May 19th, 2009 LONDON - The Speaker of Britain's lower house of parliament Tuesday announced he will resign next month over his handling of a scandal on MPs' expenses, becoming the first British Speaker to be forced out of office in over 300 years. 'Since I came to the house 30 years ago I have always felt that the House is at its best when it is united.

May 17th, 2009 LONDON - As the astounding disclosure in Britain's parliamentary expenses scam continues to roll out names, Queen Elizabeth has expressed her "dismay" privately. "Her Majesty has made clear her displeasure at what she has learnt.

May 10th, 2009 UK politicians face curb on expenses after scandalLONDON — A senior British lawmaker says Parliament will set up an independent body to oversee legislators' expenses following a series of damaging revelations. The Telegraph newspaper has been publishing leaked details of expense claims by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other politicians.

May 10th, 2009 LONDON - British parliamentarians have voted themselves an extra 16 million pounds in expenses this year, despite mounting public anger over their money-grabbing claims. The increase, worth an average 25,000 pounds to each MP, takes the total expenses bill to 109 million pounds, up from last year's 93 million pounds.

April 8th, 2009 LONDON - British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said that she will not resign over the porn expenses scandal. She admitted that she made a "bad mistake" by sanctioning two adult movies watched by her husband, but insisted that she would not bow to pressure to step down from her position in the Cabinet.