British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government has been rocked by the resignation of a top minister amid claims parliament was misled over targets for removing illegal migrants.
British Prime Minister Theresa May ‘s government has been rocked by the resignation of a top minister amid claims parliament was misled over targets for removing illegal migrants.
Amber Rudd quit as Home Secretary late last night amid intensifying opposition demands for her to go.
A No 10 spokesman said: « The prime minister has tonight accepted the resignation of the home secretary. »
Ms Rudd was thought to be preparing to tough it out, insisting she genuinely did not know about the targets when she gave evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee last week.
However, having seen mounting evidence in the paperwork about the extent of the knowledge within the Home Office about the targets, she decided she should take responsibility.
Her decision to stand down will come as a major blow to Mrs May, who publicly declared her « full confidence » in her as recently as Friday.
Even before she was accused of misleading MPs, she had been under fire for her handling of the Windrush scandal which saw Commonwealth citizens who came to Britain in the post-war decades being wrongly threatened with deportation.
Labour said she was effectively acting as a ‘human shield’ for Mrs May, whose policy as home secretary of creating a ‘hostile environment’ for illegal immigrants was blamed for causing the problems they now faced.
Liberal Democrat spokesman Ed Davey said: « It’s clear that Amber Rudd has ended up, at least partly, being the fall guy to protect the prime minister. Theresa May must face questions now, given these dreadful failures largely took place under her watch as home secretary. »
‘The Guardian’ newspaper revealed a letter from Ms Rudd to Mrs May last year in which she stated an « ambitious but deliverable » aim for an increase in the enforced deportation of immigrants.
