Westminster in chaos as Jacqui Smith quits as home secretary
By Ian Dunt
Downing Street is refusing to deny home secretary Jacqui Smith has resigned, prompting scenes of chaos around Westminster.
When asked by politics.co.uk if they would categorically deny the reports, a Downing Street spokesman refused to do so.
Calls to the Home Office prompted a similar response. Meanwhile, journalists trying to reach her Westminster office have been rerouted to the Commons answering service while calls to her constituency office are not being picked up.
A Labour backbencher told politics.co.uk her resignation was “predictable”.
“She’s leaked it so she didn’t get the sack,” they said.
The prime minister’s spokesman tried to calm down the temperature this afternoon, claiming today’s events – which included resignations from three Labour MPs and cabinet member Tom Watson – were “nothing unusual”.
“This is just the way it tends to be whenever reshuffle speculation is in the air,” he said.
“I don’t think any of this is particularly unusual or particularly unprecedented.”
The rumour around Westminster is that the reshuffle – originally planned for next week after the local and European election – will now be brought forward as a result of the shock development.
Ms Smith was widely tipped to lose her job when it did take place.
Meanwhile, former Blairites are furiously briefing against schools secretary Ed Balls, a Brownite loyalist expected to take over from Alistair Darling as chancellor.
Ms Smith’s resignation marked a day of bloodshed in the parliamentary Labour party, making her the fifth Labour figure to step down today.
Despite the chaos going on around her, she still led the second reading of the borders, citizenship and immigration bill in the Commons this afternoon.
While she did not mention the resignation, the Tory front bench made a point of bringing it up, with Chris Grayling congratulating her on being the first female home secretary.
He added that the decision to “preannounce the reshuffle” would doubtless cause “consternation in Downing Street”, but Ms Smith did not respond.
Bookmakers Paddy Power have already installed health secretary Alan Johnson as the 3/1 favourite to be the next home secretary.
Ms Smith is by far the biggest scalp since the expenses scandal broke.
There has still been no confirmation of the reports, although it appears she intends to stay on as an MP despite leaving Cabinet.
Bookies are predicting she will lose that seat in the general election, with William Hills offering a 5/2 chance of her retaining her Redditch seat, and 2/7 for her to lose to the Conservatives.
It is understood that Ms Smith in fact offered her resignation to the prime minister two months ago, although it is unclear why she has not fallen on her sword until now.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: “Jacqui Smith was one of a succession of authoritarian Labour home secretaries that rode roughshod over civil liberties.
“For that reason, she is not the right person for the Home Office in the current spirit of reform.”
He continued: “The next home secretary must ensure that the worst excesses of recent years are not just curbed but rolled back.
“A good start would be to scrap ID cards, take innocent people off the DNA database and not spy on our phone calls and emails.”
The beleaguered home secretary has been in an unenviable position for the last few months, suffering under a barrage of negative media coverage since her husband was caught watching pornographic movies at the taxpayers’ expense.
A slew of questionable expenses further undermined her position, with her attempt – rejected by the Fees Office – to claim a £240 iPhone for her husband drawing particular venom.
Ms Smith argued it was a suitable claim given his role as her constituency office manager in Redditch.
She also came in for criticism for designating a room in her sister’s house in south London as her main home while using her second home allowance to subsidise a West Midlands home she shared with her husband and children.
On other issues, Ms Smith was also criticised for her attempts to force through 42-day detention without trial, the arrest of Tory immigration minister Damian Green and attempts by the Home Office to prevent Gurkha veterans residing in the UK.
Ms Smith, 47, is the first ever female home secretary.
