Maria Miller's support ebbs away over lack of contrition

Maria Miller's support ebbs away over lack of contrition
Culture secretary faces more questions about calls to press on expenses story



Support for the culture secretary, Maria Miller, appeared to be ebbing away as Tory MPs said David Cameron should sack or demote her in a likely summer reshuffle over her handling of a dispute over parliamentary expenses.

Senior members of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, who have the ear of the prime minister, said they expected Miller to be removed from her post to end a barrage of criticism from Conservative-supporting newspapers in the runup to next year's general election.

One MP high in the hierarchy said Miller, who made a curt, 30-second apology to the House of Commons after she was ordered to pay back £5,800 in overclaimed allowances, said: "I think it was very unwise to give the short, perfunctory apology she did. I suspect she may be sacked, demoted or moved in June."

Another member of the 1922 committee executive said he shared the view that Miller would have to leave her post. Cameron is expected to reshuffle his cabinet soon after May's European parliament elections, putting in place the team that will take the party into the general election.

On Saturday fellow cabinet ministers, including party chairman Grant Shapps, tried to bolster Miller's position, saying the MP for Basingstoke had been cleared on the substantive charges, had apologised for errors, and that it was time to "draw a line" under the matter.

But as deputy prime minister Nick Clegg failed to offer strong backing – he said Miller's future was a matter for the prime minister – and Labour raised questions over allegations that No 10 and one of Miller's aides had tried to intimidate journalists planning to write about her expenses, her future looked increasingly doubtful.

On Thursday, the commissioner for parliamentary standards, Kathryn Hudson, recommended that Miller repay £45,000 in expenses for a house she shared with her parents and had wrongly claimed was her "second home". The rules say second homes must be used exclusively for parliamentary purposes that would not include using them to accommodate parents.

The cross-party House of Commons standards committee, which adjudicated on the report, overruled the watchdog and decided she only needed to hand back £5,800 in overclaimed mortgage interest. Miller was ordered to apologise to the Commons for failing to co-operate fully with the inquiries, which she did in a statement whose brevity shocked MPs.

The controversy deepened yesterday after the Daily Telegraph released an audio tape of a 2012 phone call between one of Miller's adviser's, Jo Hindley, and a Telegraph reporter, in which Hindley drew attention to her boss's role in policy on press standards – a move seen by the paper's then editor, Tony Gallagher, as a threat. No 10 and Hindley strongly deny they threatened the newspaper.

Evidence of strong-arm tactics has also come to light in emails released by the standards committee which showed how Miller tried to persuade Hudson that the investigation into her expenses was not a reasonable one. In one, she wrote: "As should by now be obvious, a decision to uphold the complaint would be irrational, perverse and … unreasonable – that is to say it would be a decision that no reasonable decision maker could properly reach."

Asked on Radio 4's Any Questions whether she should quit, Tory MP Jesse Norman failed to offer a ringing endorsement. He said: "I think that is a matter for her and the prime minister."

Conservative backbenchers, while sympathetic with Miller over details of her expenses, were shocked by her failure to show real contrition in the Commons and fear the row will carry on with newspapers opposed to apparent government attempts to give politicians a role in press regulation.

The former chairman of the committee on standards in public life, Sir Alistair Graham, said he was shocked at Miller's behaviour. "The degree of lack of co-operation and the attempt to divert the commissioner from addressing the issues concerned both seem fairly exceptional.

"I think particularly for a senior cabinet minister, who you expect to show a leadership role in co-operating with whatever expenses system is around, it is pretty shocking.

"I think the public will be very shocked that the committee did overturn one of the key recommendations about how much should be repaid back, when there is a real possibility that the minister made a capital gain with the help of public funds."

Labour stopped short of calling for Miller to quit but said many questions remained unanswered. It is demanding to know more about allegations that Miller and No 10 tried to push the Daily Telegraph off the story by reminding journalists of her responsibility for policy on the press. Shadow Commons leader Angela Eagle said: "The latest revelations and the release of a recording raise further serious questions for Maria Miller and David Cameron. They urgently need to make clear what they knew about these calls and what action they took about them.

"There is also the important question of whether there has been a breach of the code of conduct for special advisers or the ministerial code. It is time for David Cameron to show some leadership, stand up and say that what has happened was wrong and to answer these questions in full."

Labour MP John Mann, who raised the first complaint over Miller's expenses with the commissioner and who has said she should be sacked, said he was now looking at whether she owed tax on expenses that had been overpaid. He added that it was "very disturbing" that the Commons standards committee had overlooked evidence that she tried to intimidate the commissioner.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/05/maria-miller-support-ebbs-away

The benefits of a white society?   

Cameron also put his foot in it when he said the 'lay' people on the MP's committee had a vote when they don't. Made him look a right twit - again.

And she's another one lying through her teeth.

Sassy wrote:And she's another one lying through her teeth.

How the hell Cameron could give her warm support is astonishing. Well, I suppose they're just like one another - liars.

She should be sacked. Its about time these MP's got treated the same as if they were employed in a private company. That would have been clear your desk, fired for gross misconduct.

Where does the white society benefits bit come into it though?

Sorry, my poke at the Tower Hamlets thread, Victor made a dig about it being the benefits of multiculturalism lol

If the Tower Hamlets case is proved, he's as much as a rotten apple as she is, although he'll probably go to jail and she'll get away with it.

Okaaay.. I haven't read that thread which is why I didn't get it I guess

Irn Bru wrote:

Sassy wrote:And she's another one lying through her teeth.

How the hell Cameron could give her warm support is astonishing. Well, I suppose they're just like one another - liars.

I rarely say this you are right. Cameron is an idiot. He is doing the PC thing i.e. trying to keep the women in the cabinet and completely pissing everyone else off, including other women.

What a Dick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maria Miller 'Should Be Sacked' Say Most Voters
Pressure on the embattled Culture Secretary is ramped up by a poll, as her department's Twitter page is hacked.

A new poll suggests 80% of the public believe Maria Miller should be sacked as Culture Secretary from the Cabinet, stripped of her responsibility for press regulation and thrown out of the House of Commons.

Nearly three-quarters of 1,001 voters questioned by Survation for the Mail on Sunday said that Mrs Miller's 32-second apology to the Commons on Thursday was inadequate.

And 75% said that Prime Minister David Cameron was wrong to stand by her, compared with 14% who backed his decision to offer her his support.

The Culture Secretary has paid back £5,800 of expenses she had wrongly claimed for a second home and made the brief apology in Parliament for her "unhelpful" attitude towards the investigation.

But she remains under pressure after it emerged the 10-member standards committee overruled the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards' findings that she should return £45,000.

http://news.sky.com/story/1237801/maria-miller-should-be-sacked-say-most-voters

Surely he has to back down now and sack her, she's got away with murder!

She should resign if she has an ounce of decency.

Alright said Fred wrote:She should resign if she has an ounce of decency.

Tag suits you Drinky!....You are a very deeply dippy, dipstick!   




 ::slap::  ::happ::  ::happ::  ::happ::

another useful contribution

victorisnotamused wrote:another useful contribution

Indeed spamming of the threads by the flaky militant seems to be the norm.

Alright said Fred wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:another useful contribution

Indeed spamming of the threads by the flaky militant seems to be the norm.

Your multi ID's seem to have been accepted and are the norm, you fucking saddo RW fucknut!

victorisnotamused wrote:another useful contribution

Go make some crap furniture druid.

Catman wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:another useful contribution

Go make some crap furniture druid.

go play with yer pussy ya gert jessie

victorisnotamused wrote:

Catman wrote:

Go make some crap furniture druid.

go play with yer pussy ya gert jessie

Falling out with everyone now are we Phyllis that's what happens when you don't mince your words.

I'm glad she's gone, she should have been sacked, and I think should be facing criminal charges!


From what I've read, she claimed about £90,000 in expenses for her 2nd home which actually housed her parents, and was ordered to pay back £45,000 but then this was over ruled by MPs who said she should only pay back about £5,000.



Also we are told that this expenses claim was just a 'mistake'???


This stinks.


And here's a link to the tower hamlets thread, no comparison really, this is in a different league of corruption to what miller has done.

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t3790-mayor-of-tower-hamlets-investigated-for-diverting-millions-to-Muslim-groups

Tower Hamlets are a law unto themselves.

Liebour allows them to as they wish to keep the electorate happy.