IN APRIL, Basingstoke MP Maria Miller was told to apologise in Parliament after a 16-month investigation into her second home expenses claims, which resulted in her being ordered to repay £5,800.

Mrs Miller was cleared of deliberately claiming incorrect second home expenses for her Wimbledon property by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Hudson. But Mrs Hudson concluded that Mrs Miller should have cut her claims when interest rates fell.

On Thursday, April 3, Mrs Miller made a 32-second apology to the House of Commons for her “legalistic” attitude towards the inquiries of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner after being told to apologise by the Parliamentary Standards Committee.

Her statement failed to defuse the situation and the ongoing controversy, including criticism from some members of her own Conservative Party, culminated in the mother-of-three resigning as Culture Secretary on April 9.

Following her resignation, The Gazette has been seeking to set up an interview with Mrs Miller. Last week, she agreed to talk to Gazette political reporter Jessica Bave at Costa, in Chineham.

Mrs Miller agreed to have a picture taken outside but did not want to be photographed while actually being interviewed.

Read the full interview here. 

Maria Miller full interview.pdf