Equalities minister Harriet Harman fined for careless driving

Harriet Harman, the minister for women and equality, has been fined £350 for driving without due care and attention.

She was also ordered to pay £70 costs and a £15 victim surcharge, along with receiving three penalty points on her driving licence.

The incident happened on July 3rd last year when she reversed her Rover 75 into a parked car in Camberwell after visiting the remains of a block of flats gutted by fire in her Peckham constituency.

Westminster magistrates’ court heard she had been using her mobile phone at the time of the low-speed collision.

Harman pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention. A charge of driving while using a mobile phone was withdrawn.

She was not in court today. Her spokesman said she fully accepted the court’s judgement.

He added: “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 minister, who is also leader of the House of Commons, now has a total of nine points on her licence after being caught speeding twice, once in 2007 and once in 2008.

Drivers with 12 points on their licences face a ban.