Blunkett faces new visa questions

[R.A. Hettinga]

Oh, the irony...

Cheers,
RAH
-------

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/politics/4056987.stm>

The BBC

Tuesday, 30 November, 2004, 22:57 GMT

 Blunkett faces new visa questions

David Blunkett is facing new questions about whether he "fast-tracked" a
visa application for his ex-lover's nanny.

 The Daily Mail is publishing what it says are two Home Office letters to
Leoncia Casalme, Kimberly Quinn's nanny

 The first tells her it could take up to a year to process her visa claim,
but another letter 19 days later says she can now stay in the UK
indefinitely.

 But Mr Blunkett's spokesman says he has done nothing wrong and the
reported letters change nothing.

 Letters shift

Ex-civil servant Sir Alan Budd has been appointed by the government to
review the handling of the visa application and examine all the papers.

 Mr Blunkett has said he checked Ms Casalme's application for permanent
residence was filled in correctly but did not intervene to get it approved.

 The letters published in the Daily Mail do not mention Mr Blunkett or
indicate that he interfered in the process.

 "  There will now be many unanswered questions hanging over the home
secretary's head "
 David Davis


BBC political editor Andrew Marr said the letters were only circumstantial
evidence but on the face of it were "potentially very damaging".

 A letter to Miss Casalme on 23 April 2003 says her application cannot be
decided immediately.

 It says: "The waiting period for these cases is about 12 months at the
moment...

 "On current performance, we estimate that your application will be decided
by January 2004."

 But a second letter dated the 12 May tells Miss Casalme: "You can now
remain indefinitely in the United Kingdom."

 Apology

Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis said: "If the Daily Mail
story is correct, it is very difficult to understand how this can be the
normal length of procedure for an application to remain.

 "Mr Blunkett will have to explain precisely how this rapid processing of
the application came about. If he influenced this matter, his position is
untenable."

 The reports emerged after Mr Blunkett said he was repaying #180 to
Parliament for the first class train ticket he gave to then lover Mrs
Quinn. He apologised for his "genuine mistake".



The rail warrants are intended for MPs' spouses and Mr Blunkett's spokesman
said he had now realised his error.

 Mark Leech, editor of the Prison's Handbook, complained about the rail
ticket to Parliament's standards watchdog, Sir Philip Mawer.

 Despite Mr Blunkett's admission, Mr Leech said he still wants an inquiry,
saying: "I have come across many cases where prison officers have been made
to resign over falsified expense claims. This is no different."

 Sir Philip says he will look at the evidence behind the complaint before
deciding whether to investigate.

 Mrs Quinn, who is seven months pregnant, was admitted to hospital on
Monday night amid the stress caused by the controversy.

 Her husband, Stephen, said the problems were not serious but he did not
know when she would be discharged.

 Downing Street denies Tory suggestions the scope of that inquiry is too
narrow, saying the Home Office would look at less serious issues.

 Tony Blair's official spokesman also rejected suggestions that the prime
minister had prejudged the review when he predicted it would exonerate Mr
Blunkett.

 The spokesman said that by giving Mr Blunkett his public backing, Mr Blair
had just been expressing trust and confidence in his home secretary.

-- 
-----------------
R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'