Theresa May defends border control ‘fiasco’
Home Secretary Theresa May defends her role in the storm over the relaxation of UK border controls, which has already cost the head of the UK Border Force his job amid a row over who was at fault.
Defending herself at an opposition debate in the House of Commons, Theresa May said she had approved a pilot scheme to relax some border checks, the purpose of which was to strengthen security.
However she said that former UK Border Force chief Brodie Clark, who resigned yesterday, relaxed further controls without her approval.
The home secretary said that she had allowed some checks on European travellers to be relaxed for a four-month period from July, but denied that she approved relaxation of checks to become a routine policy.
Theresa May highlighted the comments made by Rob Whiteman, the Chief Executive of UKBA, after Brodie Clark had been suspended. Mr Whiteman said at the time that Mr Clark was suspended because “on a number of occasions he authorised his staff to go further than ministerial instruction.”
Mr Clark in turn has launched a claim for constructive dismissal and said that he did not relax controls “despite pressure” from ministers, adding that statements made to the Home Affairs Select Committee by Theresa May are “wrong.”
“I am saddened that my career should end in such a way after 40 years of dedicated service. My employer has disregarded my right to reply in favour of political convenience,” Mr Clark’s resignation statement said.
Read more: UK Border Agency boss resigns with attack on May
Instructions to the UKBA
Labour MPs called on the government to “publish immediately” the details Mrs May and Immigration Minister Damian Green gave to the UKBA, which oversees the operation of the UK Border Force at airports and ports.
David Blunkett, the former Labour home secretary, asked if another Home Office minister gave permission for checks to be relaxed.
Mrs May said officials had to act in accordance with the guidance they got from her and Damian Green, the immigration minister, and that those documents will be made available.
She added that she did not sign off the operational instructions issued by the UKBA and that those instructions did not reflect government policy.
Read more: Numbers who entered UK in border chaos 'unknown'
Cameron backs May
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Ed Miliband asked how many people were let into the UK “under the home secretary’s relaxed border controls” – suggesting it could be “millions”.
The Prime Minister said those figures would be published “in the normal way” – but said he did have figures showing that there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of illegal immigrants detected, a 100 per cent increase in the number of firearms seizures and a 48 per cent increase in the number of forged documents seized.
He supported his home secretary, telling MPs: “This was an operational decision but one I fully back and think she was right to take.”
Labour has stopped short of calling for Ms May’s resignation but leader Mr Miliband described the situation as “a complete fiasco.”
The Home Secretary has announced there will be three inquiries, the main one led by the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, John Vine. It is due to report in January.