Wacky Jacqui, her neighbours and surveillance
Poor old Jacqui Smith! The Home Secretary is currently embroiled in controversy concerning her expenses claim for here "second home" (which turns out to be the home she lives in. Turns out of course that her "main home" is a room in her sister's house (BBC News "Smith asked to explain expenses".
I've got no opinion as to her guilt or innocence here, but the amusing thing in this report is that it suggests she was turned in by her neighbours:
[...] Standards Commissioner John Lyon has asked her to explain claims by her London neighbours she spent as little as two nights a week at that address.
On average, neighbours [...*] say they believe Ms Smith spent three nights a week at the address, based on sightings of the police on duty in the street outside.
Of course it's supremely ironic that the Home Secretary was cliped on by her neighbours, given here desire for ever increasing internet surveillance and enthusiasm for all-encompassing databases.
*I've not reprinted the names of her neighbours from the BBC report.
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