Category Archives: home office

Suella Braverman Was Handed £16.8k Of Taxpayers’ Money When She Was Sacked By Rishi Sunak

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Suella Braverman was paid £16,876 of taxpayers’ money when she was sacked as the home secretary under Rishi Sunak last November, new accounts reveal.

The former cabinet minister now sits as a backbencher in the Commons, but had served on the Tory frontline until she was fired for writing an article in The Times slamming the police.

She made a series of inflammatory remarks ahead of some London protests, claiming the police were guilty of having a left-wing bias, and hitting out at “pro-Palestinian mobs” ahead of a wave of right-wing violence in Whitehall.

Downing Street soon revealed she did not get the text cleared with No.10 before publication, suggesting a split between the PM and his then-home secretary.

She was promptly sacked, triggering a major cabinet reshuffle days later.

But, the Home Office published the annual report and accounts for 2023 to 2024 today, and revealed Braverman received the generous “non-taxable exit payment” at the end of last year.

That was the second time Braverman had to resign as home secretary; she was fired by Liz Truss after she breached the ministerial code by sharing an official document from her personal email address with a parliamentary colleague.

She was reappointed six days later when Sunak was in No.10, after the new PM said she had “accepted her mistake”.

A Labour source told HuffPost UK: “The fact that Suella Braverman was able to walk away with a tax-free payout of this size after being sacked for the second time in a year demonstrates how the ministerial severance system was brought into disrepute by the last Tory government, and why it will need to change under Labour.”

Braverman was expected to try and run to be the next Tory leader after Sunak announced he would be stepping down following their historic election defeat.

However, she announced she was withdrawing from it – even though she supposedly had the 10 MPs required to to enter the contest – because the “traumatised” party did not want to listen to her take on why it failed.

Many supporters expected to back her reportedly switched to fellow right-wing Tory Robert Jenrick after the election.

Robert Jenrick is standing to be the next Tory leader
Robert Jenrick is standing to be the next Tory leader

via Associated Press

Jenrick, the former immigration minister under Sunak, resigned from the government last December – but he also received a generous tax-free pay-out, according to the Home Office accounts.

He was handed £7,920 when he quit the front bench over the Rwanda deportation bill, claiming it did not go fair enough.

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‘Total Tory Chaos’: James Cleverly Sacks Immigration Watchdog After Security Clash

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Britain’s borders watchdog has been sacked after he claimed “high-risk” aircraft were entering the country without security checks.

David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, was told he had “lost the confidence” of home secretary James Cleverly.

He had previously accused the Home Office of failing to publish 15 critical reports he had carried out.

The most recent spat involved claims he made in the Daily Mail about private jets landing in the UK without being checked by border officials.

Neal, a former soldier, said: “I’ve been involved in protecting this country all my working life.

“It would untenable to see this scandal go unaddressed until the end of the year.

“There will be no-one in this position to investigate whether these serious problems at London City airport are prevalent at other airports around the country.′

He added: “This is a scandal, and incredibly dangerous for this country’s border security. There should now be a rapid independent inspection of general aviation across the country.”

The Home Office denied Neal’s claims, and tonight confirmed that he has been sacked.

A spokesperson said: “We have terminated the appointment of David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, after he breached the terms of appointment and lost the confidence of the home secretary.

“The planned recruitment process for the next Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration is in progress.”

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This is total Tory chaos on borders and immigration.

“A series of Conservative home secretaries have sought to bury uncomfortable truths revealed by the chief inspector about our broken borders, and shockingly they are still sitting on 15 unpublished reports stretching back to April last year. The home secretary must now publish those reports in full.

“The Conservatives have lost control of our borders, are seeking to hide the truth, and are putting border security at risk.”

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “This is a desperate move from a Conservative government terrified of proper scrutiny of their record of failure on borders and immigration.

“Conservative ministers must publish these reports without delay

“From the failed Rwanda scheme to the broken asylum system, it’s no surprise this government is trying to cover up their failures.”

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‘Populist Idiocy’: Backlash Over Tory Boast About Crackdown On Overseas Care Workers

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James Cleverly has faced a backlash after boasting about a Tory crackdown on overseas care workers.

In December, the home secretary announced a five-point plan to bring down the numbers of immigrants coming to the UK by 300,000 a year.

The strategy included banning overseas care workers from bringing dependents with them to the UK as the minimum income requirement for anyone wanting to move foreign family members with them was to be more than doubled to £38,700.

The new rules will come into effect from March 11. On Monday, Cleverly took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight how the ban is moving forward.

He said: “Today in parliament we have laid an order to ban overseas care workers from bringing dependants. This is just one part of our plan to deliver the biggest-ever cut in migration.”

The government made the announcement as figures revealed that 672,000 more people entered the UK than left it in the 12 months to June.

The Tories’ 2019 general election manifesto pledged to bring the figure down to less than 229,000.

On X, Cleverly’s update received short shrift. SNP leader at Westminster, Stephen Flynn, said: “This will damage the care sector, the NHS and the economy. It is populist idiocy.”

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Tory Minister Doubles Down On Mickey Mouse Mural Removal: ‘Clearly The Correct Decision’

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The Conservative government has made clear it is unrepentant over removing murals of cartoon characters at an asylum centre for children in Dover.

It was immigration minister Robert Jenrick who ordered the artwork of Mickey Mouse and other cartoon characters be painted over last week, the i newspaper revealed.

Jenrick reportedly felt they gave the impression Britain was too “welcoming” to people crossing the English Channel in small boats.

The Kent Intake Unit mainly processes children who arrive solo unaccompanied by an adult. The move comes as Rishi Sunak’s government has made cracking down on immigration one of its central goals.

In the House of Lords on Tuesday, minister for migration and borders, Lord Murray of Blidworth, dismissed the concerns of Labour’s Lord Dubs, who fled the Nazis as a child.

Lord Dubs said: “The minister has just said that the government takes the welfare of unaccompanied children seriously.

“How does that relate to the arrival centre in Dover which had cartoons and welcoming signs for children and which were ordered to be removed by the Home Office minister because it might make the children feel too welcome? Isn’t that a disgrace?”

Lord Murray responded: “The murals he refers to were provided by our detention contractors and were not commissioned or approved by the Home Office.

“It is clearly the correct decision that these facilities have the requisite decoration befitting their purpose.”

Conservative peer Lord Brownlow responded by saying he was “quite frankly ashamed at your last answer minister”, adding: “I think people in this House and the wider community would have preferred your answer to have been ‘it was a mistake to paint over those murals and that a contractor would be commissioned to repaint them’.

“We are a welcoming country and whilst I accept the bill is needed to deter it is time we showed some compassion.”

In response, Lord Murray said: “This is a detention facility for those who entered the country unlawfully and it’s appropriate that it be decorated in a manner which reflects its purpose.”

The government has pledged to stop overcrowded dinghies making the journey from northern France to the UK. More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain across the Channel in 2022, and several died in the attempt.

The courts have ruled the plan to deport refugees to Rwanda is unlawful.

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Michael Gove Says He Made A ‘Mistake’ By Seeing Drug Use As Acceptable

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Michael Gove said he made a “mistake” by thinking drug taking was “somehow acceptable”.

The senior Conservative MP was grilled over his own previous drug use after he revealed plans to ban laughing gas in Britain.

Nitrous oxide is set to be banned under government plans to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.

However, during the 2019 Tory leadership race Gove himself admitted to taking Class A drug cocaine.

“I took drugs on several occasions at social events more than 20 years ago,” he told the Daily Mail. “At the time I was a young journalist. It was a mistake. I look back and I think, I wish I hadn’t done that.”

The levelling up secretary said he had learned it was a “mistake” and it was “absolutely vital” to deal with the “scourge” of laughing gas.

Asked if the public might view his stance on laughing gas as “hypocritical”, he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “No, I think it is because I have learned.”

Pressed on what he had learned, Gove said: “That it is a mistake — worse than a mistake — to regard drug taking as somehow acceptable.”

Empty cannisters of laughing gas lying on the street in Birmingham.
Empty cannisters of laughing gas lying on the street in Birmingham.

Mike Kemp via Getty Images

Confirming the ban on laughing gas, Gove said: “I think anyone who has the opportunity to walk through our parks in our major cities will have seen these little silver canisters, which are examples of people not only spoiling public spaces but taking a drug which can have a psychological and neurological effect and one that contributes to antisocial behaviour overall.”

Laughing gas is the second most commonly used drug among 16 to 24-year-olds in England after cannabis.

The decision goes further than the recommendations of a review commissioned by the Home Office, which stopped short of recommending a ban after examining the dangers of the substance.

Gove accepted that ministers had been advised not to ban laughing gas but said the government had taken a different view.

“Of course it is absolutely right that we uphold the law in this case,” he added.

“Yes, the advisory committee offered their advice but ultimately it is ministers who are responsible.

“And we believe collectively that it is absolutely vital that we deal with this scourge and in the same way.”

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Suella Braverman Makes 20-Mile Journey To Controversial Migrant Centre In A Military Helicopter

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Questions have been raised over the home secretary’s use of a military helicopter to tour chaotic immigration centres on England’s southern coast.

Suella Braverman arrived at the Manston migrant holding centre near Ramsgate on Thursday in a Chinook helicopter, having earlier visited Dover to view the Western Jet Foil immigration facility and meet the Coastguard.

The distance between Dover and Manston is about 20 miles by road and could take around 40 minutes to drive.

According to defence analysts writing for the UK Defence Journal, a Chinook costs about £3,500 per hour to fly.

The helicopter’s maximum speed is 302km per hour (about 187mph), according to its manufacturer, Boeing.

After landing, Braverman and her entourage were transferred from the helicopter to a black BMW with tinted windows.

The minister has faced widespread condemnation in recent days for characterising the influx of migrants as an “invasion”.

The Home Office explained the minster took the helicopter to get a birds-eye view of efforts to tackle people smuggling in the English Channel.

It is understood the flight left the Coastguard HQ at around 1.25pm and arrived back to shore just after 2pm.

Braverman is under mounting political pressure over the illegal conditions at the Manston site, where at one point as many as 4,000 people were being detained for weeks in a site intended to hold 1,600 for a matter of days. The number has since reduced to 2,700, after more than 1,000 were moved in the last few days.

A Home Office spokesperson, said: “As part of the home secretary’s efforts to tackle vile people smuggling in the Channel, the home secretary was briefed by clandestine Channel threat commander, Dan O’Mahoney in Dover.

“The home secretary then travelled in a military aircraft with Mr O’Mahoney to get a view of operations in the Channel first hand.”

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Home Secretary Says She Will ‘Look At’ Pre-Charge Anonymity For Suspects

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The home secretary has revealed she plans to “look at” pre-charge anonymity for suspects.

Suella Braverman told a meeting at the Tory conference in Birmingham that the “media circus” can be “devastating” for those wrongly accused.

She made the comments in response to a question about innocent high profile people who had been named in the media pre-charge such as Cliff Richard.

Braverman told a panel held by the Young Conservatives: “On the issue of anonymity pre-charge, I am interested in looking at that.

“I think that we’ve had some high profile instances where the media circus around a suspect – who has not been charged – can be and has been devastating.

“The decision to arrest is a very important decision. The decision to bring charges has to be reached only after certain legal tests have been satisfied.

“Looking at the evidence and looking at the public interest – those are really important decisions in the criminal justice process.

“I think coverage of people prior to charge can be very, very damaging, particularly if the charges are not pursued or they’re dropped later on.

“I think we do have to look at this issue because I think that the police need to be allowed to carry out their investigations.

“The CPS need to be allowed to carry out their decision making without pressure from the media, but individuals and suspects do have a right to a fair trial and trial by media will only undermine our justice system.”

Sir Cliff has joined forces with DJ Paul Gambaccini as part of a campaign to “redress the balance” in the legal system by seeing those accused of sexual offences remain anonymous unless they are charged.

Both men were falsely accused of historical sex offences and joined forces with pressure group Falsely Accused Individuals for Reform (Fair) to campaign for changes to legislation.

Critics of granting anonymity pre-charge argue that identifying suspects early on can encourage more alleged victims to come forward and potentially help a conviction.

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Nigel Farage Gets Fact-Checked By The Home Office Over ‘Incorrect’ Migrant Covid Claims

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Nigel Farage has been called out by the Home Office over a tweet in which he claimed 12 migrants arriving in Dover on Saturday had tested positive for coronavirus.

The Reform UK leader detailed what he described as a “Covid crisis” and called on home secretary Priti Patel to “get a grip”.

But hours later the Home Office refuted the claim, saying none of the people referred to by Farage had tested positive.

“This is incorrect,” it said in a tweet. “None of these 12 people tested positive for Covid-19. All adults who arrived today have been tested for Covid-19.”

Four small boats in total carrying 87 people including children made the dangerous Channel crossing into the UK on Saturday.

The Home Office has said all adults who arrived in Dover were tested for Covid-19, and only one person tested positive.

It is not known how Farage obtained the false information and his tweet is yet to be deleted.

HuffPost UK has contacted Reform UK for comment.

Elsewhere, a new study last week found those who support Reform UK are the least likely to take up the offer of a coronavirus jab.

Only 53.7% of those planning to vote for Reform UK favour taking the vaccine, a two-wave study by Oxford University found.

This contrasts dramatically to over 90% for supporters of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, at 94.8%, 91.4% and 92.1% respectively, and 100% for those who intend to vote for the SNP.

People who did not know who they would vote for were less likely to take the vaccine at 82.6%, as were supporters of the Green Party at 77.4%.

The study found strong relationships between political attitudes and intention to accept the jab, with whether you voted for Brexit also appearing related to vaccine acceptance, according to Oxford researchers.

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Windrush Scandal: ‘Justice Still Not Served In 2020,’ Say Survivors Awaiting Compensation

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Windrush Scandal A ‘Shameful Stain On British History’, Says Equality Commission

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  • Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps
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