Timing

Hazel Blears timed her resignation to have the greatest political impact, 24 hours before elections that may decide the Prime Minister's future.

Will she now try to stand against Gordon Brown? (It's not easy under Labour Party rules to challenge a leader, but she may gather support from those who want the PM out).

Her resignation statement contains not a single word of support for Mr Brown: "Today I have told the Prime Minister that I am resigning from the Government.

"My politics has always been rooted in the belief that ordinary people are
capable of extraordinary things, given the right support and encouragement.

"The role of a progressive Government should be to pass power to the people.

"I've never sought high office for the sake of it, or for what I can gain, but
for what I can achieve for the people I represent and serve.

"In this next phase of my political life I am redoubling my efforts to speak
up for the people of Salford as their Member of Parliament.

"I am returning to the grassroots (where I began), to political activism, to
the cut and thrust of political debate.

"Most of all I want to help the Labour Party to reconnect with the British
people, to remind them that our values are their values, that their hopes and
dreams are ours too.

"I am glad to be going home to the people who matter the most to me: the
people of Salford.

"Finally, there's an important set of elections tomorrow. My message is
simple: get out and vote Labour."

Business as usual

Business as usual here today......just the one ministerial resignation so far. Hazel Blears has resigned as Communities Secretary.

She may have jumped before Gordon Brown could push her over what he called "totally unacceptable" behaviour, but for a Cabinet Minister to quit 24 hours before the European and English local elections is pretty extraordinary.

Prime Minister's Questions at noon could be fun, for those who enjoy blood sports.

Heaven knows what the departing Ministers will say once the people have voted and the need for party unity is less pressing....

Bloodied but unbowed

This is the latest MP to be caught up in the expenses scandal, possibly bearing the scars of a painful encounter with the Conservative leadership after reading today's Telegraph.

Stephen Crabb is widely seen as a Tory high-flier, a rising star, and an assiduous constituency MP. His website tells how he and his family returned to settle in Pembrokeshire before the last general election.

Except we now know that his main home for some time was a rented property in London, not the home where Mrs Crabb and their children live outside Haverfordwest.

The Pembrokeshire house was officially Mr Crabb's second home, hence he was able to claim on his expenses £9,300 for the stamp duty paid in its purchase. The taxpayer paid for the interest on the mortgage he has on this home.

This is, of course, entirely within the rules, and Mr Crabb denies there was any financial motive behind his re-designation of his second home. Like Jacqui Smith and Hazel Blears, his second home has varied between his constituency and London. It is now his London flat once more.

All perfectly within the rules, although the Conservatives' new scrutiny panel may have the final say on this.

Mr Crabb issued a statement late last night in his defence:

"Every decision I have made about accommodation as Member of Parliament has been made with the explicit guidance of the Fees Office. Indeed, the switch of my designated second home from London to the constituency in October 2007 was actually suggested to me by an official in the Fees Office.

"At the time I was not just using a room in a flat rented by another MP in Westminster, as implied in the Daily Telegraph article, I was actually the joint-tenant on a fully commercial basis and shared all costs of the property.

"I reject the allegation of ‘flipping’ my London property to make a profit as a result of taxpayer-funded refurbishments. The flat I sold in August 2007 in South East London was bought by me in 1997.

"During the 12 months that I claimed Additional Costs Allowance against this property I, along with all the freeholders on the estate, paid for obligatory external paintwork to be done and

I also claimed for five new windows following a burglary at the flat.

"The cost of this work was approximately £3,000. I am advised that this capital work did not materially affect the sale value of the property.

"Over the last four years juggling family life in two locations 250 miles apart has been extremely difficult. It has not been easy achieving settled arrangements but at no stage have I sought to change addresses for capital gain or to avoid capital gains tax.

"I stopped claiming ACA against the constituency property in summer 2008 after we had started renovating it as I did not consider it appropriate to enhance a property for which the taxpayer paid the mortgage interest.

"No renovation work on this property was charged to my ACA. I have referred all my accommodation arrangements over the last four years to the new Scrutiny Panel for independent advice on the claims I have made."