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09/11/2011
Pressure Mounts On 'Contradicted' May
The Home Secretary is under yet more pressure on Wednesday after her insistence that border security officials had been compromised beyond their remit was contradicted by a border official.
On Tuesday, UK Border Force chief Brodie Clark stepped down from his post saying Mrs May's claim that he had taken a relaxation on border controls further than ministers authorised was "wrong".
Speaking to parliament on Monday, Mrs May said she had allowed some checks on European travellers to be relaxed ahead of next year's Olympics, but said Mr Clark had scaled back checks on biometric clearance and Non-EU travellers without her approval.
In a statement, Mr Clark said: "Those statements are wrong and were made without the benefit of hearing my response to formal allegations... the home secretary suggests that I added additional measures, improperly, to the trial of our risk-based controls. I did not. Those measures have been in place since 2008/09.
"The home secretary also implies that I relaxed the controls in favour of queue management. I did not. Despite pressure to reduce queues, including from ministers, I can never be accused of compromising security for convenience."
Mr Clark was suspended after speaking out, and resigned on Tuesday after saying Ms May had misled parliament over her claims.
Ms May is now facing concerted pressure to step down from her post as Home Secretary.
Speaking about the resignation of Brodie Clark, Yvette Cooper, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said: "This fiasco gets worse for the Home Secretary. Now her version of events has been contradicted by her most senior official at the UK Border Force. First she decided to reduce border checks then lost control of her so called 'pilot'.
"Now she has lost the loyalty of one of her most senior civil servants. The Home Secretary clearly doesn't know what has been happening at our borders.
"She needs to come to Parliament tomorrow and answer these points urgently. And this shows it is even more important she publishes all the guidance and instructions she gave the border agency so we can tell what has really been going on."
(DW)
On Tuesday, UK Border Force chief Brodie Clark stepped down from his post saying Mrs May's claim that he had taken a relaxation on border controls further than ministers authorised was "wrong".
Speaking to parliament on Monday, Mrs May said she had allowed some checks on European travellers to be relaxed ahead of next year's Olympics, but said Mr Clark had scaled back checks on biometric clearance and Non-EU travellers without her approval.
In a statement, Mr Clark said: "Those statements are wrong and were made without the benefit of hearing my response to formal allegations... the home secretary suggests that I added additional measures, improperly, to the trial of our risk-based controls. I did not. Those measures have been in place since 2008/09.
"The home secretary also implies that I relaxed the controls in favour of queue management. I did not. Despite pressure to reduce queues, including from ministers, I can never be accused of compromising security for convenience."
Mr Clark was suspended after speaking out, and resigned on Tuesday after saying Ms May had misled parliament over her claims.
Ms May is now facing concerted pressure to step down from her post as Home Secretary.
Speaking about the resignation of Brodie Clark, Yvette Cooper, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said: "This fiasco gets worse for the Home Secretary. Now her version of events has been contradicted by her most senior official at the UK Border Force. First she decided to reduce border checks then lost control of her so called 'pilot'.
"Now she has lost the loyalty of one of her most senior civil servants. The Home Secretary clearly doesn't know what has been happening at our borders.
"She needs to come to Parliament tomorrow and answer these points urgently. And this shows it is even more important she publishes all the guidance and instructions she gave the border agency so we can tell what has really been going on."
(DW)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A chilly start with a widespread frost and some freezing fog, any freezing fog slow to clear. Otherwise bright with sunny spells and coastal showers. Light winds. Maximum temperature 6 °C.Tonight:Coastal showers dying out with a widespread frost developing along with freezing fog, which could become extensive. Winds remaining light. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
