'SHE'S toast'. The words - spoken by a senior Labour source about Hazel Blears - were being echoed around the House of Commons last night.
The Salford MP and Communities Secretary, more than any of her colleagues, has come under fire for leaked expenses claims.
Who claimed what
Now she is fighting for her political life, with colleagues in Westminster and her constituency claiming she is certain for the axe in a summer reshuffle.
So how did it come to this, for a woman whose first words in Parliament in 1997 were: 'I really do believe that this is a turning point in politics, a time when millions of people can begin once again to trust those who govern and to have hope for the future'?
The facts of the matter are this. In August 2004, Hazel Blears sold her one-bedroom flat in Kennington, London, for £200,000 - a £45,000 profit. But she did not pay 40 per cent capital gains tax because the taxman was told the property was her main residence. At the same time, the flat was registered with parliament as her second home - meaning she could claim public money towards its mortgage and furniture.
Ms Blears admits the row has been 'damaging' to her reputation. But she insisted last night: "I did what any other person would do - no liability was incurred, so I had no bill to pay."
The MP says a number of crucial facts have not come to light. She says she fought a long battle to get parliament to allow her to designate her Eccles semi as her main home. It was only when she won this fight, she says - in April 2004 - that the London flat became her second home as far as parliament was concerned. By then the flat - still her main home, in the eyes of the taxman - was on the market.
She says: "The flat I sold was a one-bedroomed flat. I have never owned more than one property in London.
"I did not flip anything. The fees office told me when I became a minister that my main home had to be designated in London. I fought that. I found it really old fashioned."
Government guidelines clearly state that people can nominate whichever of various properties they own as their 'main' home, for tax purposes, provided they meet certain conditions. They must, for example, be fully furnished.
Taxman
The question being asked of Ms Blears is this: why, if she fought so hard to get parliament to designate Salford as her first home, didn't she simply ask the taxman to do the same?
"It was an absolutely straightforward transaction," she replies. "I was already in the process of selling the flat and it was already designated as my main home.
"I have been prominent, so inevitably it will be damaging.
"I strongly believe in paying tax. I see why people hate the system. The rules were clearly wrong and we need to change them as soon as we can."
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs will not discuss Ms Blears' case, other than to say that there are `no special capital gains tax rules covering MPs' homes'.
But the real danger, in any case, could be political. Ms Blears - always a Blairite peg in a Brownite cabinet hole - was being tipped for demotion from the Cabinet even before this controversy. Her `YouTube if you want to' piece was seen as a thinly-veiled attack on the Prime Minister's ill-fated attempt to change the rules on expenses via a bizarre internet broadcast. One Westminster insider says Ms Blears influence in the corridors of power is on the wane.
Ms Blears was roundly defeated in her bid to become deputy Labour party leader. Few believe she has any chance of the top job. Whether she realises that is another matter.
"I can only imagine it was a plot against Gordon Brown, and that she was a willing stooge," says one MP. "She honestly believes she is the second coming of Barbara Castle.
"She will be out. With the expenses, and the article, that gives him a complete excuse. He would have found it very difficult without that."
Ms Blears still has a local power baseb, ut some colleagues are muttering about the revelations of the past week.
Gravy train
One prominent member of the city's Labour Party said: "The many people I have spoken to find it reprehensible what she has done with her properties. It looks like she with the rest of them is on the gravy train."
Allies point to how Ms Blears has used her political clout to get movers and shakers interested in investing in her city.
Eddie Sheehy, a former Eccles Labour councillor, who was ousted at the last local elections, said: "I've a great deal of respect for Hazel. But I think she has found it difficult to be a nationally recognised politician at one level and be in touch with grassroots at the other."
Lib Dem councillor Norman Owen, who has previously stood against Ms Blears for the Salford seat, said the MP had lost the confidence of local people. He said: "People in Salford are feeling the pinch. They will be cruelly disappointed to find out their MP has been spending £650 on mattresses and hundreds of pounds on TVs."
Ms Blears says she `is not even going to think' about losing her Cabinet post.
But she adds: "All of my political life - on the council in Salford, as an MP, and as a minister - Salford has come first, second and last. It is where my family live. I would never do anything to damage either the Labour party or Salford.
"I could choose to live in London full time. I don't. I am in Salford every weekend, canvassing and knocking on doors."
Ms Blears said something else in her maiden speech.
"The qualities of Salford men and women shine through the adversity of their everyday lives," she said.
"They were and still are people with courage, determination, wit and compassion, and they have an unrivalled ability to see through falseness and to expose insincerity."
Whether that is her salvation, or her epitaph, remains to be seen.
Who claimed what
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Her time was up when her new nickname "Quuen of the Flippers" appeared ont he news yesterday. Brown is a coward if he doesn't get rid of her now - removing her in a summer reshuffle will be seen as weak and ineffectual which is just waht Brown is.
Also, can anyone please explain to me why the Scottish contingent in Westminster (Brown, Darling, Martin etc) who represent Scottish constituencies are allowed in Westminster when they have their own Parliament ? I have never understood this. We need a Goverment run by the English as we don't need to be importing Scots to rob us as well.
Show some moral backbone Ms Blears - resign!
Hazel said about Salford;
"They were and still are people with courage, determination, wit and compassion, and they have an unrivalled ability to see through falseness and to expose insincerity."
YES HAZEL, WE DO !!!! WHICH IS WHY YOU WILL BE VOTED OUT.
THROUGH YOUR OWN FALSENESS AND INSINCERITY.
HOW COMPLETELY PATRONIZING !!!
This self satisfied smug grin she wears does her no favours.and there is a big danger in making maiden speeches about trust and govern if you are unable to be true to yourself,she as failed in every department of that and also in some of the government departments she as held sway over.Begone parasite and darken my door no more.
Ms Blears appears to have done no worse - or better - than many other MPs with regards to allowances, claims and expenses... but she is a loose cannon that is further damaging Labour.
I think that, like Ruth Kelly, it's time she resigned, to 'spend more time with her family'.
"All of my political life - on the council in Salford, as an MP, and as a minister - Salford has come first, second and last. It is where my family live. I would never do anything to damage either the Labour party or Salford.
If that is the case Ms Blears,why do you not respond to the dozen or so people who have tried to contact you concerning local achives,this is just one example of you ignoring the Salford people unless there is something in it for you.
the only new i want to hear about her anymore is either.
"Blears walks"
or "blears sacked"
or even "arrested for fraud"
lets hope its any of those!
Hazel Blears has been the most uncritical 'Head Girl' of the New Labour Project prepared to implement and vote for whatever the 'Headmistress' demands. She has shown a flamboyant ability to represent opposing policies in different places, depending on the audience. She chose to wear the clothes of the 'honest working Salford lass' but has consistently aligned herself with (and voted for) an illegal war, hospital closures, ASBO culture, 42 day detention without trial, Gurkha racism etc.
In the end it might be the taxes and expenses fiasco that will be her undoing, but we should not forget her wider political opportunism and hunger for publicity and profile over principles and policies.
She cetainly lives upto her name "The Ginger Whinger".most apt at the present time.
I've been disillusioned with politicians for some years now. Despite this I've always used my vote at all elections, mainly because I feel it is my responsibility as a citizen to do so, when there are so many disenfranchised people throughout the world.
However this "expenses" scandal has torn the last shred of respectability from our politicians. Now I have a dilemna. Should I vote or not, knowing full well, they are all money grubbing, do as I say not as I do, lying, deceitful, toerags...and I've no doubt some have acted criminally.
Who can I vote for in future? I'm just so very sad and disillusioned with our politicians, all of them. Perhaps if there was a mass abstention at the next elections, it might ram home the seriousness of the country's democratic plight. What a sorry mess.
"" she insisted last night: "I did what any other person would do""
No you didn't!
Why all this talk about getting the Commons Authorities to agree Salford was your main home. It should have been your main home all along. Your second home should be a flat or samll house in commuting distance of Westminster. There should be no need for any MP to keep changing this.
The idea of second home allowance is so that MPs can have a base near Westminster - not to swap it to the main residence and pay for the maintenance and upkeep of a bigger constituency home.
Oh - all of your constituents can buy their own chocolate bars and wine when staying in hotels! The fact that you had the audacity to claim these small items perhaps reveals your lack of principles!
Hazel... as the famous philospher Nelson Muntz once said... "Ha! Ha!"
Who's gonna pay your expenses now Hazel...? Not the tax payer! That's for sure!
the only new i want to hear about her anymore is either.
"Blears walks"
or "blears sacked"
or even "arrested for fraud"
lets hope its any of those!
Jay B, oldham
LETS HOPE ITS ALL THE ABOVE !!!
Don't let the door hit you on the way out Blears. CYA.
It really is astounding that so many people get angry about MP's expenses but while they have been tearing Magna Carta to shreads over the past 12 years, there has been hardly a whimper.
Ms Blears insisted last night: "I did what any other person would do". How dare she judge me by her standards.
She was in A Taste of Honey,
Now she's just a waste of money.
Spending £2,000 on two TV's in the space of 12 months is disgusting. The public are sick of MP's saying sorry and getting away with their abuses scott free. Hazel Blears the 'champagne socialist' should pay with her job for abusing her position.
Taxi for Blears (and no receipt).
So she is in Salford every weekend "knocking on doors" is she ?
Sorry I don't live there so I hope the good and honest people of Salford give it to her both barrels when she goes knocking.
There is an old saying.
An attack of conscience is a fear of being watched.
Rings true with our current government.
Well it's up to her constituents to do the right thing at the earliest opportunity.
I see that the BNP have highlighted all the "legitimate expense" claims that have been made "within the rules".
A vote for them would send a message very clearly to the present incumbents in parliament and may ensure some integrity came back to MP's of all parties in "The mother of parliaments."
A lot of the expenses incurred by our other ruling classes, whilst I'm sure are "legitimate", could be greatly reduced in line with the increasing hardships being felt by the peasantry due to the current economic hardships.
FIGHT for your job!
Harry Hill style!
Oh! dear, time to go, and if you do manage to keep your job - you need to waste more tax payers money on a fashion adviser! I don't think Green does with Red!
Another hypocrite who says she represents the people ,whilst ripping the tax payer to shreds .Begone ,and take Gorbals Mick ,and the rest of the corrupt government with you.