The latest round of
MPs' expenses revelations shows Jacqui Smith charging her
husband's top-of-the-range iPhone using taxpayers' money.
Documents also appear to show she then began claiming the costs
of the couple's monthly mobile phone bills.
She claimed for 90% of the cost of the calls, because she said
90% of the calls made by her husband Richard Timney would be in
relation to his work as her constituency office manager.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Smith wrote a letter to the
Commons fees office in January last year saying, "Until now I have
not claimed for the use of my mobile phone, nor that of Richard
Timney I should like to claim for both phones from now on and
backdate the claim to the start of this financial year.
"I would estimate that 90% of the costs are related to my work
as an MP I hope that this estimation is acceptable."
A receipt from a phone shop in Redditch, her constituency,
showed the home secretary claimed £242.10 of the £268 cost of the
phone.