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Maria Miller 'hounded' on expenses, says Boris Johnson Maria Miller aide condemns media 'witch-hunt'
(about 3 hours later)
Culture Secretary Maria Miller is being "hounded" after overclaiming on her expenses, Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said. Culture Secretary Maria Miller's parliamentary aide has criticised coverage of the row over her boss's expenses claims as "wrong".
On BBC Radio 4, he said his "natural sympathy" went out to her and dismissed speculation about her future in the cabinet, saying: "She is staying." Conservative MP Mary Macleod said there was a "witch-hunt" because some newspapers were angry about Mrs Miller's reforms to press regulation.
But the system of investigating MPs' expenses needed reform, he added. But Labour MP Chris Bryant said there was "no point" criticising journalists.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said Mrs Miller and David Cameron had "some very serious questions to answer". The culture secretary was forced to apologise to MPs for her handling of an inquiry into her expenses.
Reports on Mrs Miller have featured on the front pages of the Telegraph and the Times every day since Friday.
In an "urgent question" in the House of Commons, Labour MP John Mann - whose formal complaint originally prompted the investigation into Mrs Miller's expenses in December 2012 - said there was "virtual unanimity" among the public that MPs should not regulate their own expenses conduct.
The Labour MP who chairs the Commons Standards Committee, Kevin Barron, said it had already decided to look at its own procedures and would decide how to go about it in the coming weeks.
'Sort it out'
The London mayor, who writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph, told the Today programme: "I don't know the facts of the case in great detail but it seems to me she is being hounded quite a lot.
"I suppose my natural sympathy goes out to people being in a hounded situation, how about that? There she is. She's being hounded."
The independent parliamentary commissioner for standards, whose job it was to investigate Mrs Miller's expenses, found that she had overclaimed by £45,000.The independent parliamentary commissioner for standards, whose job it was to investigate Mrs Miller's expenses, found that she had overclaimed by £45,000.
Although the Commons standards committee, which is the ultimate arbiter, disagreed and decided that she had overclaimed by £5,800, it also criticised her "attitude" to the inquiry, accusing her of supplying the commissioner with "incomplete documentation and fragmentary information". Although the Commons Standards Committee, which is the ultimate arbiter, disagreed and decided that she had overclaimed by £5,800, it also criticised her "attitude" to the inquiry, accusing her of supplying the commissioner with "incomplete documentation and fragmentary information".
Mrs Miller was cleared of funding a home for her parents at taxpayers' expense, the central charge against her.Mrs Miller was cleared of funding a home for her parents at taxpayers' expense, the central charge against her.
'Confidence in system' Ms Macleod, who is Mrs Miller's parliamentary private secretary, told the BBC: "I do think this is a witch-hunt by the media who are angry about [the Leveson inquiry on press standards] and equal marriage, and they're taking it out on Maria."
Mr Johnson suggested that the role of the standards committee, which comprises five Conservative MPs, four Labour MPs, one Lib Dem MP and three members of the public, should be reduced. Rally round
"The trouble seems to have arisen because you've got some discrepancy between what the independent assessor said and what the committee of MPs said," he explained. She could not see why the papers ran the story day after day when allegations had been dismissed, she said.
"I think what you need is to sort it out by having a proper independent system of evaluating what is owed and you cannot let the MPs do it themselves. "We can't just let the media do whatever they want and hound someone where allegations have been dismissed. That's wrong in my book," she added.
"'Nemo iudex in causa sua' [no-one should be a judge in their own case] is our motto. Ms Macleod said these were her opinions and Mrs Miller had not mentioned Lord Justice Leveson's proposals to overhaul press regulation to her in the context of the recent coverage of her expenses.
"Let's get on with it and have a proper independent system that everyone can have confidence in." She also confirmed she had sent Conservative colleagues a text message urging them to rally round,
On Monday, employment minister Esther McVey criticised the 32-second apology Mrs Miller made in the Commons last week. Mr Bryant said: "I have complained many times about the media and the way in which it has operated over the years in relation to Parliament, but there is no point in railing against it on this particular issue.
"The truth is that the parliamentary system of self-regulation and semi-self-regulation has been on trial in the court of public opinion for a considerable period, and for most of our constituents it has been found wanting."
Labour leader Ed Miliband said Mrs Miller and David Cameron had "some very serious questions to answer".
Mr Miliband, who has stopped short of calling for Mrs Miller's resignation, said a rethink on how expenses complaints are investigated was long overdue.
"He [Mr Cameron] has got serious questions to answer about Maria Miller's failure to co-operate with the initial inquiry," he told party activists in Birmingham.
"He's got serious questions to answer about her failure to provide more than a perfunctory apology to the House of Commons.
"I think the ball is in his court. He's got to answer those questions about her status in the government."
'Distracting'
And in an "urgent question" in the House of Commons, Labour MP John Mann - whose formal complaint originally prompted the investigation into Mrs Miller's expenses in December 2012 - said there was "virtual unanimity" among the public that MPs should not regulate their own expenses conduct.
The Labour MP who chairs the standards committee, Kevin Barron, said it had already decided to look at its own procedures and would decide how to go about it in the coming weeks.
Conservative MP Robert Syms said the row over Mrs Miller's expenses was "distracting" from the Conservatives' local election campaign and "nobody is bigger than the overall message of the party".
Mr Syms told BBC Radio Solent that he had had lots of emails from people who feel "very frustrated" about the "saga".
"As practical politicians we've got to convey our arguments. When these things come along they detract from it. There are much more important things than the career prospects of one individual," he said.
On Monday, employment minister Esther McVey criticised the 32-second apology that Mrs Miller made in the Commons last week.
She told ITV's The Agenda: "I can honestly say it wouldn't be how I would have made an apology. But different people have different styles and do things in different ways."She told ITV's The Agenda: "I can honestly say it wouldn't be how I would have made an apology. But different people have different styles and do things in different ways."
'Serious questions'
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said many Conservative MPs were irritated by the tone and brevity of Mrs Miller's apology and, most of all, a distraction weeks before the local and European Parliament elections.BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said many Conservative MPs were irritated by the tone and brevity of Mrs Miller's apology and, most of all, a distraction weeks before the local and European Parliament elections.
Mr Cameron has said he is open to the idea of further reform of the way MPs' expenses and conduct are monitored but he has continued to defend Mrs Miller.Mr Cameron has said he is open to the idea of further reform of the way MPs' expenses and conduct are monitored but he has continued to defend Mrs Miller.
Mr Miliband, who has stopped short of calling for Mrs Miller's resignation, said a rethink on how expenses complaints are investigated was long overdue.
"He (David Cameron) has got serious questions to answer about Maria Miller's failure to co-operate with the initial inquiry," he told party activists in Birmingham.
"He's got serious questions to answer about her failure to provide more than a perfunctory apology to the House of Commons.
"I think the ball is in his court - he's got to answer those questions about her status in the government."
'Completely irrational''Completely irrational'
A Downing Street source said it was for the prime minister to choose his cabinet,A Downing Street source said it was for the prime minister to choose his cabinet,
Others who back Mrs Miller believe her roles in negotiating reforms to press regulation after the Leveson Inquiry into media standards and overseeing proposals for same-sex marriage have made her a target for newspapers and some fellow MPs.Others who back Mrs Miller believe her roles in negotiating reforms to press regulation after the Leveson Inquiry into media standards and overseeing proposals for same-sex marriage have made her a target for newspapers and some fellow MPs.
But the campaign group Conservative Grassroots said the PM's support for Mrs Miller was "completely irrational". But the campaign group Conservative Grassroots said Mr Cameron's support for Mrs Miller was "completely irrational".
A poll it commissioned found that 74% of voters and 69% of Tory supporters thought the prime minister should have sacked Mrs Miller.A poll it commissioned found that 74% of voters and 69% of Tory supporters thought the prime minister should have sacked Mrs Miller.
The row over the culture secretary's expenses dates back to December 2012, when the Telegraph reported she had claimed £90,718 in expenses towards mortgage payments on a house in Wimbledon, south-west London, that the MP shared with her parents.The row over the culture secretary's expenses dates back to December 2012, when the Telegraph reported she had claimed £90,718 in expenses towards mortgage payments on a house in Wimbledon, south-west London, that the MP shared with her parents.
The standards committee comprises five Conservative MPs, four Labour MPs, one Lib Dem MP and three members of the public.