‘Minister for advertising’ resigns over expenses row

Maria Miller, the minister responsible for setting many of the laws that regulate marketing, has resigned over the controversy over her expenses. 

Maria Miller
The minister responsible for setting many of the laws that regulate marketing, Maria Miller has stood down.

Pressure had been mounting on the secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport to resign after the Parliamentary Commissioner ruled she has over claimed expenses on a second home.

In her resignation letter Miller said it was with “great regret” she resigned from the cabinet but that the controversy had ”become a distraction from the vital work this Government is doing…”

Accepting her resignation, Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “sad” but hoped she would return to the Cabinet in “due course”.

Miller – a former advertising agency executive and marketing manager at oil giant Texaco – was appointed to the cabinet in 2012. She has ultimate responsibility for the creative industries, broadcasting, tourism and the UK’s digital development. 

She also oversaw the regulation of the gambling industry, recently ordering a review into the content and scheduling of gambling advertising and telecommunications, which saw her announce a review of the laws governing telemarketing in a bid to get tough on nuisance callers.

She was also responsible for implementing the changes to media standards recommended by Lord Leveson following the phone-hacking scandal.  

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