Home Secretary David Blunkett Quits
 

Home Secretary David Blunkett has resigned after an inquiry found his office was involved in "fast-tracking'' his ex-lover Kimberly Quinn's nanny's application to stay in Britain.

Whitehall mandarin Sir Alan Budd discovered there had been a fax and an e-mail through Mr Blunkett's office discussing the case and the Home Secretary told Prime Minister Tony Blair he would resign forthwith.

Mr Blunkett insisted he had no personal recollection of dealing with the case but added he would not hide behind civil servants and accepted full responsibility himself.

The Home Secretary's resignation had become inevitable after Cabinet colleagues and Labour backbenchers made clear they were withdrawing their support for him.

Colleagues said his bitter paternity battle with Mrs Quinn over her son had become an embarrassment to them and the Government, no matter how strongly they might sympathise personally with the Home Secretary in his troubles.
It was the granting of Indefinite Leave to Remain to nanny Leoncia Casalme which provided the trigger for Mr Blunkett's decision to quit after he was accused of taking up her case.

At first the Home Office insisted Mr Blunkett had done nothing more than check her application for factual errors. Then it emerged she had been told it might take a year - but 19 days later it was granted.

In a statement to the Press Association Mr Blunkett said: "When the issue of the application for ILR (indefinite leave to remain) for Ms Casalme emerged on November 28, I immediately asked for an inquiry to be set up.

Sir Alan Budd has undertaken that inquiry over the last two weeks.

"The key issue has always been whether I used my public office for private benefit.

"Since these issues were first raised, I have always given my honest recollection of the facts, on the record as I remembered them.

"At that time and subsequently I said that the issue of Ms Casalme's application was not taken up by my office beyond it being read to me initially. These statements have been based on the recollections of myself and the officials in my office at the time.

"Yesterday, Sir Alan Budd told me there had indeed been a fax and an exchange of e-mails between my office and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate - not based on the application form as originally alleged but on the subsequent letter (informing her of a possible 12-month delay) of which I was always aware but did not remember holding a copy. I have no recollection of dealing with this in any way.

"However, whether or not I asked for any action to be taken is irrelevant to the inference that can be drawn.

"Given I have no recollection of issuing instructions to deal with the application, but only to continuing the elimination of the backlog in general, the easy thing would be to hide behind my officials. I will not do such a thing. In no way is my office or any individual within the department to blame for what happened.''

Mr Blunkett ended his statement by saying: "I have always been honest about my recollection of events. But any perception of this application being speeded up requires me to take responsibility.

"That is why with enormous regret I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister today.''

Good riddens to bad rubbish i say!!! This idoit nearly brought down the Early learning service which is responciable for kids who have learning diificulties which would have meant hat they would have been put into "special schools" where they just wouldnt have fitted in . i am so glad this idiot has gone!