Call the fire brigade, someone's pants are on fire.

Via Guido, The Times on Jacqboot.

Jacqui Smith’s political future was facing ruin tonight after the House of Commons watchdog passed a devastating verdict on her expense claims and her own police support officers contradicted her claims about her movements.

...

But in a damning verdict, John Lyon revealed that the police had questioned the veracity of of the former Home Secretary after their records showed the number of nights she spent in London varied with Ms Smith’s account.

He says that “for 2008/9, the police figures suggested that Ms Smith had spent 37 more nights in Redditch than she had in London, whereas her diary estimates suggested that the difference was 9 nights”. Other figures for 2007/8 suggest she spent 12 more nights in Redditch than in London.

So aside from the question of whether she even considered if feathering her nest was right or wrong she appears to have been at the least economical with the truth. Unless the cops are liars.. who knows, maybe. Not sure why the cops would lie though. Still, she's apologised and will be made to pay back every penny.

However, MPs on the Standards and Privileges committee decided not to make her pay back money ...

Wait, what? For fuck's sake, why not?

... because “it is impossible to quantify” the financial implications of her decision or say “with any certainty whether the taxpayer is any worse or better off as a result.”

You have got to be shitting me. Surely this is a bad fucking joke. Does it matter whether the taxpayer is any worse or better off you witless cock sockets? The issue is did she claim money she shouldn't have and is she better off as a result, and if the answer to both is yes then she should be repaying the fucking money. This is like that old joke about the guy tried for theft being found not guilty and then asking the judge if that meant he got to keep the money. The big difference is that Jacqui Smith seems to have been found guilty, but gets to keep the money anyway.

Fucking hell.