More on Wankgate

The headline on the BBC News site reads:

Smith’s husband sorry over films

However, view the video here and whilst he says sorry for any embarrassment he’s caused his wife, nowhere does he say he’s sorry for his part in misusing public money.

What a…

…wanker.

Actually, the porn films aspect of this is immaterial even though it’s a blogger’s delight and extremely hard to resist using gratuitous wank euphemisms.

What is at issue here, however, is that part of Jacqui Smith’s MP expense allowance was used to pay for something that was of no use or benefit to her work as an MP.

If  the TV package was intentionally purchased then it is clear that our Home Secretary and/or her husband is indeed on the fiddle, unless the way in which they interpreted the rules suggested to them that such a purchase was permissible.

If the TV package was mistakenly purchased – along with a broadband connection – then you have to ask how it took two supposedly intelligent people long enough to sit together or separately through 5 films and pay for them before they realised this was not standard terrestrial, Freeview or Freesat TV.

No matter which way you look at it, somebody fucked up here.

How they fucked up ranges from the simply stupid to the cynically fraudulent.

Jacqui Smith’s position would be untenable if it was a matter of fraud, which I suspect it wasn’t. A few wanks (or hand jobs if Jacqui got her freak on with the pr0n) and a couple of substandard films just aren’t worth it.

No, I’m convinced it was just stupidity and she’ll stay on for the while if the inquiry into  her second home claim finds in her favour.

However, what is clear is that the rules governing MPs expenses need to be made crystal clear so that any deviation from them is immediately obvious.

Until then – and that seems to be sometime after the next General Election, so get those claims in chaps! – perhaps MPs ought to keep this as a constant mantra:

“If you can’t defend what you are doing, don’t do it. We’ve got to get public opinion with us.”

Said to his MPs after Wankgate emerged by one D. Cameron…