Pressure on Smith after Green case comes tumbling down
By politics.co.uk staff
The collapse of the case against shadow immigration minister Damian Green has led to calls for the resignation of the home secretary.
Jacqui Smith has suffered from a series of damaging headlines over the last few months, beginning with her expenses claims.
This followed with the claim, by her husband, for four video rentals on taxpayers’ money, and topped off by yesterday’s decision by the crown prosecution service (CPS).
Comment: The problem isn’t Smith, it’s the government
The most damaging assertion yesterday came in the statement that the leaks had very little – if any – national security implications, directly contradicting her own department and the information it told police to get the investigation started.
Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions, said yesterday: “The information leaked was not secret or information affecting national security. There is insufficient evidence for a prospect of conviction.”
Sir David Normington, her most senior civil servant, insists it was his idea to call the police, but many parliamentary insiders belief she may have to take responsibility as head of the department.
Yesterday, Mr Green, who is not calling for her resignation, said: “Jacqui Smith is a poor home secretary and the fact this was allowed to escalate was an exercise of poor judgement by the Home Office under her command.”
