She’s going before she was pushed

Ever since she was discovered to be claiming a room in her sister’s house in Nunhead, south London as her primary residence, home secretary Jacqui Smith has been in trouble.

Her husband renting a couple of porn movies on the taxpayer didn’t help.

But in truth the first woman home secretary, the second youngest holder of the office since Winston Churchill, will not leave the stage with her reputation enhanced. At least in the view of her many critics.

Indeed, she might have gone out with a little more glory if she had resigned right now, provoking Gordon Brown to have to bring forward his attempts to reshuffle the government.

The prime minister’s traction is waning very fast, and it is questionable how many people will agree either to be moved or to go on working for him.

He wanted to have his reshuffle on Friday, before we learn the worst of the European election results on Sunday. That still seems to be his plan.

At this point it’s hard to see whether Jacqui Smith’s self-immolation signals the final crumbling of the Brown regime or another stagger towards relatively fruitless power.