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| term_end1 = 9 April 2014
| term_end1 = 9 April 2014
| predecessor1 = [[Theresa May]]
| predecessor1 = [[Theresa May]]
| successor1 = [[Sajid Javid]]<br/><small>Equalities</small><br/>[[Nicky Morgan (politician)|Nicky Morgan]]<br/><small>Women</small>
| successor1 = [[Nicky Morgan (politician)|Nicky Morgan]]
| office2 = [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State]] for [[Department for Work and Pensions|Disabled People]]
| office2 = [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State]] for [[Department for Work and Pensions|Disabled People (Work and Pensions)]]
| term_start2 = 12 May 2010
| term_start2 = 12 May 2010
| primeminister2 = [[David Cameron]]
| primeminister2 = [[David Cameron]]
| term_end2 = 4 September 2012
| term_end2 = 4 September 2012
| predecessor2 = [[Jonathan Shaw (politician)|Jonathan Shaw]]
| predecessor2 = [[Jonathan Shaw (politician)|Jonathan Shaw]]
| successor2 = [[Esther McVey]]
| successor2 = [[David Freud, Baron Freud|Baron Freud]] <br/><small>Work and Pensions</small><br/>[[Esther McVey]] <br/><small>Disabled People</small>
| office3 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br/> for [[Basingstoke (UK Parliament constituency)|Basingstoke]]
| office3 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br/> for [[Basingstoke (UK Parliament constituency)|Basingstoke]]
| parliament3 =
| parliament3 =

Revision as of 19:28, 9 April 2014

The Right Honourable
Maria Miller
MP
Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport
In office
4 September 2012 – 9 April 2014
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byJeremy Hunt
Succeeded bySajid Javid
Minister for Women and Equalities
In office
4 September 2012 – 9 April 2014
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byTheresa May
Succeeded byNicky Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People (Work and Pensions)
In office
12 May 2010 – 4 September 2012
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byJonathan Shaw
Succeeded byBaron Freud
Work and Pensions
Esther McVey
Disabled People
Member of Parliament
for Basingstoke
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 May 2005
Preceded byAndrew Hunter
Majority13,176 (26%)
Personal details
Born
Maria Frances Lewis

(1964-03-26) 26 March 1964 (age 60)
Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseIain Miller (m. 1990)
ChildrenTwo sons, one daughter
Alma materLondon School of Economics
ProfessionPolitician and marketing consultant
Websitewww.mariamiller.co.uk

Maria Frances Lewis Miller (born 26 March 1964) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Basingstoke since 2005.[1] She was the Minister for Disabled People from 2010 to 2012, and from 2012 to 2014 a member of the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities.[2] Miller resigned from the cabinet in April 2014 because she had over-claimed expenses.[3]

Early life

The daughter of John Lewis, she was born in Wolverhampton, but was brought up in Bridgend, South Wales.[4] She was educated at the Brynteg Comprehensive School before reading Economics at the London School of Economics from where she graduated in 1985.[1] She joined Greys Advertising Ltd as an advertising executive, leaving in 1990 to become a marketing manager with Texaco. She rejoined Greys in 1994 and served for five years as a director, before becoming a director for the Rowland Group in 1999 for four years.[1]

Parliamentary career

Miller joined the Conservative Party in 1983 and contested Wolverhampton North East at the 2001 general election but was defeated by the sitting Labour MP, Ken Purchase. She has served as the chairman of Wolverhampton North East Conservative Association since 2001.[1] She was chair of the Wimbledon Conservative Association for a year from 2002.[1]

Miller was first elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election following the retirement of the former Conservative MP, Andrew Hunter, who had defected to the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party before he stepped down. In Parliament she served for a year from 2005 as a member of the Trade and Industry Select Committee. Later in 2005, David Cameron appointed her a spokesperson for the Shadow Education and Skills team. She was appointed Shadow Minister for Families in 2007.[1] Following the 2010 general election she was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Disabled People at the Department for Work and Pensions.

In May 2012 she urged the Prime Minister to continue with proposals to introduce same-sex marriage in England and Wales, despite either voting against or being absent for "all major LGBT rights votes" since becoming an MP.[5]

On 4 September 2012, Miller was appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equality in David Cameron's first major Cabinet reshuffle.[6]

In February 2013 she was assessed as the 17th most powerful woman in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.[7]

Expenses claims

Miller speaking in 2012

In December 2012, The Daily Telegraph reported that, between 2005 and 2009, Miller had claimed over £90,000 in parliamentary expenses for the mortgage and upkeep of a house in south London where her parents lived.[8] She was subsequently reported to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards John Lyon by MP John Mann,[9] and an inquiry was launched into the claims.[10][11] Lyon's term as commissioner finished at the end of the December,[12] thus it would essentially be his successor, Kathryn Hudson, who undertook the inquiry. Alistair Graham, who chaired the Committee on Standards in Public Life during 2003–07, said Miller's position as Culture Secretary would be "untenable" if Hudson's investigation found her guilty, recalling the "very similar" 2009 case of Tony McNulty, who resigned his ministerial positions.[13] Graham also observed that Miller "struggled" in an interview with the Evening Standard to explain why she stopped claiming in 2009, just as the parliamentary expenses scandal exploded.[13] She said:

Because I think there was a lot of concern about the rules and, er, a lot of concern about, you know, the whole issue, and it's something I felt that I didn't want to be, sort of, mixed up in, the fact that I  … I just made that decision.[14]

Miller responded to the reports by stating that her "financial arrangements" had been audited on two occasions since she became an MP and no issues had been found with them,[8][15] and that her parents lived with her as "dependents" under Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority rules.[16] Prime Minister David Cameron was satisfied with her "excellent" explanation.[10]

Shortly after the Telegraph broke the story on Miller's expenses, it emerged that both Cameron's spokesman, Craig Oliver, and Miller's special advisor, Joanna Hindley, had phoned the newspaper prior to publication in an attempt to warn it off, the pair issuing a veiled threat to the paper by reminding it of Miller's role in enacting proposals in the Leveson report on press regulation.[17] Downing Street denied that any threats were made.[18] The newspaper later released the recording they had made of Hindley's call in which she can be clearly heard making the threat the Telegraph said she had.[19]

Hudson's investigation lasted more than a year, and was handed in to the Commons Select Committee on Standards in February 2014.[20] The following month, the Telegraph reported that the committee was considering forcing Miller to repay thousands of pounds and apologise over her expenses claims.[21] The article said she was to be censured for abusing the parliamentary expenses system after overclaiming for her mortgage and making £1m profit on the sale of her house. Kathryn Hudson had recommended in her February report that Miller pay back £45,000,[22][23] but, on 3 April 2014, the MPs of the Standards Committee overruled their commissioner, ordering Miller to repay instead just £5,800 of wrongly claimed expenses and make a statement in the House of Commons to apologise for her "legalistic" lack of co-operation with the committee.[24] Appearing in the House of Commons on the same day, Miller spoke for approximately 32 seconds. The apology ordered of her is quoted verbatim:

With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal statement in relation to today's report. The report resulted from an allegation made by the member for Bassetlaw. The committee has dismissed his allegation. The committee has recommended that I apologise to the House for my attitude to the commissioner's inquiries and I of course unreservedly apologise. I fully accept the recommendations of the committee and thank them for bringing this matter to an end.[25][26]

Miller is believed to be the first serving minister to be forced to apologise for their misuse of expenses.[27] David Cameron expressed his "full, strong, very warm support" for her,[28] but had to apologise for a "slip of the tongue" after claiming it was not Miller's fellow MPs on the Committee on Standards who had overruled Hudson, but rather its independent members who had "effectively […] had the casting vote". In fact, only MPs on the committee, not its lay members, can vote on its findings.[29]

Unfortunately for Miller, the row did not die down, and her case was referred to the police by MP Thomas Docherty;[30] Cameron expressed his wish for the press to leave the matter alone.[31] On 4 April it was reported that Miller had even attempted to intervene in the investigation into her, telling Kathryn Hudson "that she was acting outside the law and threatening to refer her to a Commons committee".[32] Alistair Graham described Miller's intervention and threats as "fairly exceptional", "pretty shocking".[33] The continuing saga and the perfunctory nature of her apology led to Miller haemorrhaging support from her own party,[34] and so all sides lined up to condemn her.

On 6 April, Labour's John Mann said, "It is quite astonishing that Maria Miller remains in the Cabinet".[35] A senior minister agreed that Miller's actions were "incompatible with being in Cabinet",[36] as did Norman Tebbit, who called her "arrogant and greedy".[37] The Sunday Telegraph found no grassroots Tory support for Miller[38]—a fact forcefully underlined by director of Conservative Grassroots, Ben Harris-Quinney, who said ordinary party members "are resolute in calling for her to go with immediate effect."[39] Zac Goldsmith said he was "surprised" she had not resigned,[40] Employment Minister Esther McVey and Mark Field questioned her apology,[41][42] Nicola Blackwood said her failure to resign was "unhelpful",[43] Philip Davies declared her behaviour "highly damaging",[42] while Graham Brady, the head of the 1922 Committee, described Miller as "toxic" when he met with Cameron.[44] Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, however, who, the previous day, had insisted anyone found committing benefits fraud must pay higher fines and, if necessary, be forced to sell their home to pay back their fraudulent gains,[45] said the media's focus on her wrongdoing risked becoming a "witch hunt" and said he was "supportive" of the Culture Secretary,[46] though he did later reduce his stance to non-committal.[44] Miller did find support among the more liberal "One Nation" faction of Tory MPs, of which she is a member.[47] The prime minister's decisive support remained steadfast.[39][48]

In a further twist, documents emerged showing why Miller had stopped claiming expenses on her "second" home in Wimbledon in 2009 and then redesignated it as her main home in 2011, after rule changes were made in the wake of the parliamentary expenses scandal. One of the new rules stipulated that MPs would have to pay capital gains tax on sales of second homes for which they had claimed expenses. Asked, in 2009, to sign a declaration acknowledging she would now be liable, Miller declined and chose instead to simply stop claiming expenses for the second home in Wimbledon, having done so since she bought the house fifteen years previously. She later, in 2011, redesignated it as her main home for expenses purposes so she could get second-home allowance for a rented property in her constituency. Miller sold the Wimbledon property, which is at the centre of her expenses claims, for a profit of more than £1 million in February 2014; capital gains tax at the time was 28%. Miller refused to confirm that she would pay capital gains tax on the sale.[49]

On 8 April, in her weekly column for her local newspaper, Miller declared to her constituents that she was "devastated" to have let them down.[50] However, Baroness Boothroyd, Commons Speaker between 1992 and 2000, accused Miller of "bringing Parliament into disrepute" and said that in her view the Prime Minister should have sought Miller's resignation.[51]

On 9 April 2014, Miller resigned from the cabinet,[52] but did not apologise in her resignation letter. David Cameron, who had a meeting planned that day in which he was again going to tell Tory MPs that he would not be forced into sacking Miller,[47] expressed "sadness" over her stepping down, and said he hoped she would be able to return to the front bench "in due course".[53] Mark Wickham-Jones, professor of politics at the University of Bristol, said the entire episode had highlighted "how bad the coalition, and Cameron in particular, is at getting rid of damaging elements.[54]

Personal life

Miller and her husband Iain, a solicitor, were married in 1990. They have two sons and a daughter.[1][55]

Electoral history

General Election 2010: Basingstoke[56]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maria Miller 25,590 50.5 +11.7
Liberal Democrats John Shaw 12,414 24.5 +2.6
Labour Funda Pepperell 10,327 20.4 −12.2
UKIP Stella Howell 2,076 4.1 +1.9
Basingstoke Common Man Steve Saul 247 0.5 +0.5
Majority 13,176 26.0
Turnout 50,654 67.1 +6.2
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
General Election 2005: Basingstoke
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maria Miller 19,955 41.5 −1.2
Labour Paul Harvey 15,275 31.7 −9.2
Liberal Democrats Jen Smith 9,952 20.7 +6.8
UKIP Peter Effer 1,044 2.2 −0.3
Green Darren Shirley 928 1.9 N/A
BNP Roger Robertson 821 1.7 N/A
Millennium Council Roger MacNair 148 0.3 N/A
Majority 4,680 9.7
Turnout 48,123 63.0 +2.3
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g ‘MILLER, Rt Hon. Maria (Frances Lewis)’, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2012 ; online edn, November 2012 accessed 13 Dec 2012
  2. ^ Maria Miller MP to head Culture, Media and Sport department in UK Government, Basingstoke Gazette, 4 September 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  3. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26951464
  4. ^ Maria Miller, The Conservative Party - profile. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  5. ^ Britain shifts equalities role and makes gay man schools minister, Gay Star News, 4 September 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  6. ^ Maria Miller becomes culture secretary, The Guardian, 4 September 2012, Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  7. ^ BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour Power list
  8. ^ a b Watt, Holly; Newell, Claire (10 December 2012). "MPs' expenses: Culture Secretary Maria Miller's £90,000 claims for parents' home". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  9. ^ Watt, Holly; Newell, Claire (11 December 2012). "MPs' expenses: Maria Miller reported to MP watchdog over £90,000 expenses claims". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  10. ^ a b Watt, Nicholas (14 December 2012). "Maria Miller faces parliamentary investigation into her expenses". theguardian.com. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  11. ^ Maria Miller expenses inquiry launched, BBC news website, 13 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards". Hansard. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  13. ^ a b Mason, Rowena (14 December 2013). "Sir Alistair Graham: Maria Miller job 'untenable' if she broke expenses rules". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  14. ^ Murphy, Joe (13 December 2012). "Maria Miller: I didn't use Leveson to threaten editor investigating my expenses". standard.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  15. ^ Interview - PM, BBC radio 4, 11 December 2012. Sky News. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  16. ^ "Maria Miller Under Fire For Expense Claims". 11 December 2012. Sky news,. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  17. ^ Watt, Nicholas (12 December 2012). "Downing Street and Daily Telegraph at war over Maria Miller allegations". theguardian.com. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  18. ^ "No 10 denies 'threats' made over Daily Telegraph probe". BBC News. BBC. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  19. ^ "Maria Miller expenses report: Listen to Telegraph reporter's phone call with special adviser Joanna Hindley". 4 April 2014. telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  20. ^ Swinford, Steven; Watt, Holly; Newell, Claire (16 February 2014). "MPs' expenses: Maria Miller criticised for £90,000 claim by parliamentary watchdog". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  21. ^ "Maria Miller 'to have to repay thousands of pounds and apologise over expenses claims'". Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  22. ^ Elliott, Francis; Savage, Michael (4 April 2014). "Fury grows as expenses minister Maria Miller clings to job". The Times. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  23. ^ Dominiczak, Peter; et al. (3 April 2014). "Maria Miller expenses report: MPs conspired to save Culture Secretary". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last= (help)
  24. ^ "Maria Miller ordered to repay £5,800 and apologise to MPs". BBC News. BBC. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  25. ^ "Maria Miller apologises to MPs over her response to expenses inquiry: Politics live blog". Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  26. ^ "Personal Statement". Hansard. TheyWorkForYou. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  27. ^ Syal, Rajeev (3 April 2014). "Culture secretary Maria Miller apologises over mortgage expenses". theguardian.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  28. ^ Stacey, Kiran (3 April 2014). "Miller apologises to parliament over excess expenses claims". ft.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  29. ^ Dominiczak, Peter (4 April 2014). "David Cameron claims MPs did not have 'casting vote' over Maria Miller expenses". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  30. ^ Evans, Martin (4 April 2014). "Met asked to investigate Maria Miller - letter in full". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  31. ^ Watt, Nicholas; Syal, Rajeev (4 April 2014). "Maria Miller's expenses claims referred to police by Labour MP". theguardian.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  32. ^ Watt, Nicholas; Syal, Rajeev (4 April 2014). "Maria Miller threatened watchdog in attempt to limit investigation". theguardian.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  33. ^ Dominiczak, Peter; et al. (5 April 2014). "Maria Miller's behaviour is shocking, claims former chairman of Standards Committee". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last= (help)
  34. ^ Helm, Toby (5 April 2014). "Maria Miller's support ebbs away over lack of contrition". theguardian.com. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  35. ^ "Maria Miller row: Cameron faces questions, Labour says". 5 April 2014. BBC News. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  36. ^ Mendick, Robert; et al. (5 April 2014). "Maria Miller must go over expenses claims, says senior minister". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last= (help)
  37. ^ Tebbit, Norman (6 April 2014). "The arrogant and greedy Maria Miller should do the decent thing and resign". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  38. ^ Barrett, David; Lazarus, Ben (5 April 2014). "Maria Miller should resign, say grassroots Conservatives". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  39. ^ a b Watt, Nicholas (6 April 2014). "David Cameron at odds with top Tories as pressure grows on Maria Miller". theguardian.com. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  40. ^ Dominiczak, Peter; Graham, Georgia (8 April 2014). "Maria Miller: 'I'm surprised she hasn't resigned', says senior Tory MP". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  41. ^ "Esther McVey appears to question Maria Miller apology" 8 April 2014. telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  42. ^ a b Mason, Rowena (8 April 2014). "Maria Miller row: Tories step up pressure on culture secretary". theguardian.com. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  43. ^ Mason, Rowena (8 April 2014). "Maria Miller: pressure grows as minister criticises 32-second apology". theguardian.com. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  44. ^ a b Kirkup, James; et al. (7 April 2014). "Tory MPs call for Miller to be sacked". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last2= (help)
  45. ^ Ross, Tim (5 April 2014). "Benefit cheats face higher fines and losing their homes". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  46. ^ Watt, Nicholas (6 April 2014). "Iain Duncan Smith: Maria Miller row at risk of becoming witch-hunt". theguardian.com. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  47. ^ a b Parker, George; Rigby, Elizabeth (9 April 2014). "Maria Miller expenses row nears climax". ft.com . Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  48. ^ Staff and agencies (7 April 2014). "Maria Miller expenses row: David Cameron reiterates his support". theguardian.com. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  49. ^ Watt, Holly; Dominiczak, Peter (6 April 2014). "Maria Miller faces questions over tax on home sale". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  50. ^ Bave, Jessica (8 April 2014). "Basingstoke MP Maria Miller 'devastated' over expenses saga". basingstokegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  51. ^ "Maria Miller 'devastated' by expenses row". 8 April 2014. BBC News. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  52. ^ "Maria Miller quits as culture secretary after expenses row". 9 April 2014. BBC News. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  53. ^ Aglionby, John (9 April 2014). "Maria Miller resigns as culture secretary". ft.com. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  54. ^ Donaldson, Kitty (9 April 2014). "Miller Resigns From U.K. Cabinet Amid Expenses Pressure". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  55. ^ Debrett's People of Today information
  56. ^ Parliamentary election - Statement of Persons Nominated (PDF)
Parliament of the United Kingdom

Template:Incumbent succession box

Political offices
Preceded by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Disabled People (Work and Pensions)
2010–2012 		Succeeded by
Baron Freud
Work and Pensions
Esther McVey
Disabled People
Preceded by Minister for Women and Equalities
2012–2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
2012–2014 		Succeeded by

Template:Current Conservative MPs

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