Raf Sanchez

Originally published on Times Online

Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman today became the first serving Cabinet minister in memory to plead guilty to a criminal charge after admitting driving without due care and attention.

Ms Harman was fined £350 and ordered to pay a further £70 costs and a £15 victim surcharge after her lawyer entered the guilty plea at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Three points were also put on her licence, bringing her to a total of nine after two previous offences. A driving licence would normally be revoked on reaching 12 points.

A second charge of driving while using a mobile phone was withdrawn.

The Minister for Women and Equality did not attend the hearing and was instead in a Cabinet meeting at Downing Street.

Ms Harman, 59, was charged after reversing her Rover 75 into a parked car in Camberwell, southeast London.

The minor collision took place at around 10pm on July 3 last year as she returned from visiting people made homeless by a fire in a towerblock that killed six people. The owner of the vehicle was watching the incident from the window of her nearby flat.

After the accident she is alleged to have said: “I’m Harriet Harman. You know where you can get hold of me.”

Michael Jennings, for the prosecution, told the court: “She got into her car whilst using her handheld telephone.

“She then started the engine of her car again whilst using a mobile telephone, which then drove forward and she then drove backwards.

“It was when she moved backwards again that she then hit the car which was parked behind her.

“Throughout all of this incident she was using her handheld telephone.”

Solicitor Mark Haslam, representing Ms Harman, asked for the “maximum credit” for his client’s guilty plea, which was given after “other matters” were dropped by the prosecution.

Mr Haslam said: “This is a parking manoeuvre. It takes place in a very short timespan. It takes place at a very slow speed, less than 5mph.

“There is no injury, no damage and no insurance claim by either party in relation to either vehicle.”

While sentencing Ms Harman, District Judge Nicholas Evans said: “I propose a fine of £350, costs of £70, a victim surcharge of £15 and the licence will be endorsed with three penalty points.”

In November a spokesperson said the MP for Camberwell and Peckham strongly rejected the allegations and would deny the charge but today struck a more contrite tone.

“Ms Harman fully accepts the court’s judgment,” a spokesperson said.

“Ms Harman is pleased that the potential charges of leaving the scene of an accident without exchanging particulars and failing to report an accident to the police have been dropped.

“Ms Harman is pleased that it has been established that this was not a ’hit and run’ accident as portrayed in some media reports. It was a parking incident and no damage was done.”

The investigation into the incident took four months before the Crown Prosecution Service brought charges in November.

Politicians who have faced prosecutions in recent years have all stood down before they were charged.

Peter Hain stood down as Work and Pensions Secretary in January 2008 in the face of a looming police investigation. After an 11-month investigation no charges were brought against him.