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| Maria Miller quits as culture secretary after expenses row | Maria Miller quits as culture secretary after expenses row |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Maria Miller has resigned as culture secretary, Downing Street has said, following a row over her expenses. | Maria Miller has resigned as culture secretary, Downing Street has said, following a row over her expenses. |
| In a letter to the prime minister, she said the controversy "has become a distraction from the vital work this government is doing". | In a letter to the prime minister, she said the controversy "has become a distraction from the vital work this government is doing". |
| The PM said he hoped she would be able to return to cabinet "in due course". | |
| Mrs Miller was cleared of funding a home for her parents at taxpayers' expense, but was told to repay £5,800 of the expenses she claimed. | |
| The independent parliamentary commissioner for standards had previously recommended she repay £45,000, having criticised her "attitude" to the inquiry. | The independent parliamentary commissioner for standards had previously recommended she repay £45,000, having criticised her "attitude" to the inquiry. |
| But a much lower sum was ordered by the Commons Standards Committee, a decision which sparked a backlash across the political spectrum and calls for changes in how complaints against MPs are investigated. | But a much lower sum was ordered by the Commons Standards Committee, a decision which sparked a backlash across the political spectrum and calls for changes in how complaints against MPs are investigated. |
| Mrs Miller apologised in the Commons, but was criticised for the brevity of the statement she made. | |
| 'Spectacularly failed' | |
| David Cameron's official spokesman said the PM and Mrs Miller discussed her future on Tuesday night and her resignation was confirmed on Wednesday morning. | |
| It comes a day before Parliament breaks for its Easter recess and ahead of a session of Prime Minister's Questions at which Mr Cameron was expected to come under pressure over the row. | It comes a day before Parliament breaks for its Easter recess and ahead of a session of Prime Minister's Questions at which Mr Cameron was expected to come under pressure over the row. |
| The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said the tactic had been to say, "We've done what we were asked by the committee of standards and privileges in the Commons and that's where the matter rests," but that tactic had spectacularly failed. | |
| He said the public viewed Mrs Miller as, at best, overclaiming thousands of pounds - at worst, tens of thousands - and if the rules had applied to them they would have been sacked or put in prison. | |
| He added that Labour leader Ed Miliband would still be able to use the row against Mr Cameron at PMQ's later, asking him "What on earth were you doing?" backing Mrs Miller. | |
| In her letter, Mrs Miller said she was "immensely proud" of her work in cabinet, including "putting in place the legislation to enable all couples to have the opportunity to marry regardless of their sexuality". | |
| She also acknowledged that her role in "implementing the recommendations made by Lord Justice Leveson on the future of media regulation, following the phone hacking scandals, would always be controversial for the press". | |
| The prime minister said he was sorry to receive Mrs Miller's resignation but accepted her decision. | |
| "I think it is important to be clear that the Committee on Standards cleared you of the unfounded allegations made against you, a point which has been lost in much of the comment in recent days," he wrote. |