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Cameron defends decision not to sack Maria Miller over expenses claims | Cameron defends decision not to sack Maria Miller over expenses claims |
(about 1 hour later) | |
David Cameron offered cross-party talks on the future of regulation of MPs as he defended his decision not to sack the culture secretary, Maria Miller, over her expenses claims. | David Cameron offered cross-party talks on the future of regulation of MPs as he defended his decision not to sack the culture secretary, Maria Miller, over her expenses claims. |
Cameron told MPs at prime minister's questions that Miller "did do something wrong", but said it was right to give colleagues a chance to get on with their job. He also insisted this was a good and honest parliament. | Cameron told MPs at prime minister's questions that Miller "did do something wrong", but said it was right to give colleagues a chance to get on with their job. He also insisted this was a good and honest parliament. |
Miller resigned early on Wednesday after concluding that her continued presence around the cabinet table would act as a distraction to the "vital work" of the government. | Miller resigned early on Wednesday after concluding that her continued presence around the cabinet table would act as a distraction to the "vital work" of the government. |
Miller's departure after seven days of growing pressure following her perfunctory apology to the Commons last week triggered a mini-reshuffle. Cameron appointed Sajid Javid as culture secretary and Nicky Morgan was promoted to his former job as financial secretary to the Treasury, also taking on the role of women's minister. | Miller's departure after seven days of growing pressure following her perfunctory apology to the Commons last week triggered a mini-reshuffle. Cameron appointed Sajid Javid as culture secretary and Nicky Morgan was promoted to his former job as financial secretary to the Treasury, also taking on the role of women's minister. |
The cabinet's female contingent was reduced to three, with critics saying there was no longer a mother around the cabinet table and for the first time the women's minister was subordinate to a male minister. | The cabinet's female contingent was reduced to three, with critics saying there was no longer a mother around the cabinet table and for the first time the women's minister was subordinate to a male minister. |
In the Commons, Cameron accused the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, of jumping on a bandwagon after the circus had left town and challenged the Labour leader to explain why he had not pressed for Miller to be sacked at any point in the past six days. | In the Commons, Cameron accused the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, of jumping on a bandwagon after the circus had left town and challenged the Labour leader to explain why he had not pressed for Miller to be sacked at any point in the past six days. |
He said more needed to be done to reassure the public and twice insisted against the tide of public opinion: "This is a good and honest parliament with good and hard working MPs." | |
Cameron sidestepped efforts by Labour to say whether he had indirectly or directly forced Miller to quit after a botched attempt late on Tuesday to shore up her support on the Tory backbenches. | Cameron sidestepped efforts by Labour to say whether he had indirectly or directly forced Miller to quit after a botched attempt late on Tuesday to shore up her support on the Tory backbenches. |
Asked by Miliband what lessons he had learned from the events of the past week, Cameron replied: "The biggest lessons I learned is that anger is still very raw and will be acted on". | Asked by Miliband what lessons he had learned from the events of the past week, Cameron replied: "The biggest lessons I learned is that anger is still very raw and will be acted on". |
He pointed out that almost all expense complaints from now on would be dealt with by an independent body, and that lay members now sat on the standards committee overseeing MPs' conduct. | |
Miliband decided to focus on the failure of Cameron to act earlier, pointing out: "The prime minister wrote in his letter to the culture secretary today – and I quote – 'it is important to be clear that the committee on standards cleared you' …So can he now set out what in his view the culture secretary did wrong?" | Miliband decided to focus on the failure of Cameron to act earlier, pointing out: "The prime minister wrote in his letter to the culture secretary today – and I quote – 'it is important to be clear that the committee on standards cleared you' …So can he now set out what in his view the culture secretary did wrong?" |
Miliband went on: "It will be completely unclear to the country why the culture secretary is not still in her job, because he thinks she did nothing wrong … What she did wrong was she refused to co-operate with an inquiry, she breached the code of conduct and she gave a perfunctory and inadequate apology to the house … does he now recognise this was a terrible error of judgment?" | Miliband went on: "It will be completely unclear to the country why the culture secretary is not still in her job, because he thinks she did nothing wrong … What she did wrong was she refused to co-operate with an inquiry, she breached the code of conduct and she gave a perfunctory and inadequate apology to the house … does he now recognise this was a terrible error of judgment?" |
Cameron replied: "The culture secretary was accused of a very serious offence … she was cleared of that allegation and I thought it was right in those circumstances to allow her to make her apology and continue with her job. That is the way I think is the right way to handle it. I think if people clear themselves of a serious offence you let them get on with their job. That is the right thing to do." | Cameron replied: "The culture secretary was accused of a very serious offence … she was cleared of that allegation and I thought it was right in those circumstances to allow her to make her apology and continue with her job. That is the way I think is the right way to handle it. I think if people clear themselves of a serious offence you let them get on with their job. That is the right thing to do." |
Faced by Miliband's criticisms of his failure to sack Miller earlier, Cameron countered: "If he thinks this was the case why didn't he call on her to resign? He seems to be first leader of the opposition to come to this house and call on someone to resign after they've resigned." | Faced by Miliband's criticisms of his failure to sack Miller earlier, Cameron countered: "If he thinks this was the case why didn't he call on her to resign? He seems to be first leader of the opposition to come to this house and call on someone to resign after they've resigned." |
Miliband replied: "I've heard everything – it's my job to fire members of his cabinet. This is about him and the fact he still doesn't understand what she did wrong … There would have been no question [in any other sector] about them staying in their job. Why was he the last person in the country to realise her position had become untenable?" | Miliband replied: "I've heard everything – it's my job to fire members of his cabinet. This is about him and the fact he still doesn't understand what she did wrong … There would have been no question [in any other sector] about them staying in their job. Why was he the last person in the country to realise her position had become untenable?" |
"The PM describes it as a 'bandwagon and a circus'. This is about the members of this country absolutely appalled by the conduct of his government over the last week. It is about members of the public who cannot understand why he did not act … Does he not realise that his failure, even now his failure, to recognise what went wrong, has undermined trust not only in his government, but in politics?" | "The PM describes it as a 'bandwagon and a circus'. This is about the members of this country absolutely appalled by the conduct of his government over the last week. It is about members of the public who cannot understand why he did not act … Does he not realise that his failure, even now his failure, to recognise what went wrong, has undermined trust not only in his government, but in politics?" |
Cameron said if Miliband wanted to be serious about the crisis of trust in politics he should get serious and take up an offer of cross-party talks. |
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