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Gordon Brown has tried desperately to remove doubts about the short-term future of Jacqui Smith, standing by the woman he promoted to Home Secretary and appealing for her to be allowed to get on with the job.

Facing the biggest week of his premiership, Mr Brown strove to close down speculation about one of his most senior ministers, knowing that if he fails to do so he could be confronted with embarrassing questions about her all week as he stands alongside world leaders here for the G20 summit.

So he took the first opportunity today at a press conference with the Australian prime minsiter to say that she was doing a "great job." He described the issue of her having claimed for the cost of pornographic movies on her parliamentary expenses as a "personal matter" for which Ms Smith and her husband had apologised.

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BACKGROUND

• Danger of discord at Gordon's beanfest

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Related Links

• COMMENT: Expenses are now costing Brown dear

• Smith porn claim 'makes expenses probe urgent'

• Husband’s porn bill pushes Smith to brink

A similarly firm line was taken by Mr Brown's spokesman at the regular briefing of reporters. He said the Prime Minister felt the issue should not be allowed to distract from everything Ms Smith was doing. He pointed to her work on counter terrorism, neighbourhood policing and knife and gun crime as examples of the "good work" she is doing.

With an inquiry hanging over her concerning the expenses she has claimed on the London home she shares with her sister, the weekend disclosure has intensified doubts over Ms Smith's medium-term prospects, even though Mr Brown is known to be strongly supportive of her. Ms Smith's friends believes she will be vindicated by the inquiry. That would be good news for her but the latest revelations risk making her a figure of fun. If that were to persist, Mr Brown would have to move her, senior MPs believe.

As she left her London residence this morning, the beleaguered minister declined to respond to reporters’ questions about the films - watched by husband Richard Timney at their family home in Redditch, Worcestershire, while she was away. David Cameron described the latest revelations as “deeply embarrassing” for the Home Secretary, but stopped short of calling for her resignation. Mr Brown offered his support, insisting that she was doing “a great job” and had “done the right thing” by paying the money back.

The Prime Minister was asked at a press conference in 10 Downing Street whether he still had confidence in Ms Smith, who is already under investigation for claiming second home expenses on her family house in her Redditch constituency while living as a lodger with her sister in London. Mr Brown said: “The Home Secretary is doing a great job and I do not think this issue should be allowed to detract from everything she is doing to ensure we protect the public and keep our neighbourhoods safe.

“She has done the right thing by taking steps to rectify the mistake that was made as soon as she became aware of it. This is very much a personal matter for Jacqui. She has made her apology, her husband has made clear that he has apologised.

“The best thing is that Jacqui Smith gets on with her work, which is what she wants to do.”

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