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After Maria Miller resigns: Sex scandals, duck houses, pay-per-view porn and other embarrassing political exits

Ms Miller's departure follows a long-line of red-faced exits from Cabinet

Wednesday 09 April 2014 12:09 BST

(PA)

Maria Miller is the latest MP to resign from the Cabinet amid a row over expenses claimed on a second home. But the Culture Secretary is far from the first MP to leave Parliament shrouded in controversy if the sex scandals, pay-per-view-porn expenses claims and attempts at having a ‘floating duck house’ reimbursed are considered.

The expenses scandal of 2009 revealed some uncomfortable truths over exactly what MPs were claiming from tax-payers’ money.

It saw the first Commons Speaker to be forced out of office for more than 300 years over criticism of his handling of the scandal, while the first female Home Secretary eventually stood down from her post after it was revealed her husband claimed for two pay-per-view adult films.

Yet Westminster has seen its fair share of controversy since. Former defence secretary Liam Fox was left red-faced when it came to light that he successfully claimed 3p of taxpayers’ cash for a car journey of fewer than 100 metres.

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

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1/9In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Mark Harper

Immigration minister Mark Harper resigned after emerged his cleaner was in the country illegally. Mr Harper quit after he discovered his cleaner, whom he employed at his London flat for seven years, did not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Mark Menzies

Former Conservative MP Mark Menzies resigned as a ministerial aide following allegations made by a Brazilian rent boy in March. The MP for Fylde in Lancashire resigned his position as the parliamentary private secretary (PPS) amid allegations which appeared in a tabloid newspaper, which he strenuously denied.

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Liam Fox

Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox resigned in 2011 over his working relationship with his friend Adam Werritty, which saw the Tory MP ordered to repay £3,000 of expenses for allowing Mr Werritty to live rent-free at his taxpayer-funded second home for a year. Mr Fox faced further embarrassment when it was revealed successfully claimed 3p of taxpayers’ cash for a car journey of fewer than 100 metres.

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Denis MacShane

Labour MP for Rotherham Denis MacShane resigned over what a parliamentary enquiry described as “the gravest case of misconduct” ever to be investigated at the time. The ex-Europe Minister was jailed for six months after making false expense claims of nearly £13,000. The former MP previously pleaded guilty to false accounting by filing 19 fake receipts for “research and translation” services. MacShane, 65, used the money to fund a series of trips to Europe, including one to judge a literary competition in Paris.

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Patrick Mercer

Patrick Mercer resigned the Tory whip in May last year after he was filmed by the BBC's 'Panorama' apparently agreeing to lobby on behalf of Fiji for a pro-Fijian cross-party committee.

Rex Features

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Michael Martin

Former Labour party MP Michael Martin became the first Commons Speaker to be forced out of office for more than 300 years following criticism of his handling of the MP’s expenses scandal of 2009.

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Jacqui Smith

Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith stood down in the cabinet reshuffle amid a flurry of controversy after the MPs expenses scandal revealed her husband Richard Timney, who also ran her constituency office, had watched two pay-per-view adult movies which had then, unknown to her, been subject to a claim for reimbursement. The ‘porn scandal’ not only saw the former Labour MP Ms Smith, who was the first female Home Secretary, eventually resign but also saw her lose her back bench position in May 2010.

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Sir Peter Viggers

Sir Peter Viggers also found himself caught up in the MPs expenses scandal when The Daily Telegraph reported that the Conservative Party Member had attempted to claim for a pond feature identified as a floating duck island, although this was notoriously rejected. The Gosport MP said he would repay £10,000 in claims for garden maintenance and repairs and agreed to stand down at the next election.

PA

In pictures: Embarrassing political exits

Prime Minister David Cameron

David Cameron gave his shock resignation in … wait, no he didn’t. Wales Online were forced to apologise after a story that the government was rocked by news the PM had quit was used in a “training exercise” but went live on the internet by accident before it was quickly pulled.

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The former immigration minister Mark Harper is the most recent to give up his post after it emerged his cleaner was working in the UK illegally, in another public exchange of letters between an apologetic MP and the Prime Minister.