Jacqui Smith’s hubby risks everything

The unfortunate behaviour of Jacqui Smith's husband Richard Timney, caught watching adult channels and then slipping the charge through with other expenses allowable on the couple's so-called second home, hasn't just left the Home Secretary in a tight spot professionally - it has also put their marriage in jeopardy, according to friends.

Which is a shame given what a great supporter of his wife Timney has proved to be. As readers of The First Post may recall from an item posted just before Christmas, this is the man who likes to write to his local paper, the Redditch Advertiser, defending the actions of his wife, who is the local MP, but without ever revealing that he is her husband or that he is paid £40,000 a year to be her Commons adviser.

One such letter, published on December 8 last year, denounced the Conservatives for not supporting the Government's highly controversial identity-card plan, which falls within his wife's remit as Home Secretary. "If the Tories were serious about protecting Britain's borders, they would be supporting ID cards ­ not standing on street stalls campaigning against them," he wrote.

Timney finally slipped up when, in the course of an angry missive about a controversial bypass, he accidentally referred to his MP by her first name only: "Jacqui decided the quickest way to provide relief for Studley was to pursue a simpler solution". Which was a bit of a giveaway.

Now, of course, "providing relief for Studley" has a whole new ring about it. If Smith does decide to give him the heave-ho, not only will Timney lose his all-expenses-paid life in Smith's second home - her 'first' home, don't forget, is her sister's house in London - but he may have to return to real work.

This is something he last did in 1997 when he gave up his job as a civil engineer to help bring up the children and work as his wife's "senior researcher/parliamentary assistant".

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

Michael Brown, the Independent: As the holder of one of the great offices of state Jacqui Smith’s remaining presence on the Government front bench, between now and polling day, will be worth more votes to her Redditch Tory opponent in particular - and to the Tory party generally - than her immediate removal. A sacked minister is no use to an opposition. A wounded and crippled minister, limping on for the rest of their cabinet career, is far more beneficial. Thanks to her husband, the Home Secretary has moved from being a mere "scandal-hit minister" to becoming for the Prime Minister that most lethal of all political beings: a figure of ridicule.

Libby Purves, the Times: The nation owes a debt of gratitude to Richard Timney, spouse and £40,000 "adviser" to Jacqui Smith. Despite the torrent of evidence about the corrupting world of John Lewis lists, free rockeries, plum jobs for relatives and back-bedrooms masquerading as main homes, there is a sense of tipping point about Mr Timney's porn habit and his wife's embarrassed promise to pay back the money claimed for his treats. We should be grateful, simply because if anything gets these soft, secretive allowance rules changed this will be it. ·