UK immigration minister resigns over cleaner’s visa
Immigration minister Mark Harper has resigned after being told that his cleaner did not have permission to work in the UK, in a blow to the government’s credibility.
There was “no suggestion” the Forest of Dean MP had “knowingly employed an illegal immigrant”, according to a statement published on the Downing Street website.
But the episode is deeply embarrassing for a government which has made it a political priority to crack down on immigration levels into the UK.
Mr Harper’s letter of resignation was accepted by David Cameron, the prime minister, on Friday.
“Mark Harper offered his resignation after he was informed that his cleaner did not have indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, despite having shown him documents claiming she did”, the Downing Street statement said.
The telegenic and capable Mr Harper had been one of the rising stars of the Tory ranks, having been promoted to the Home Office a year and a half ago. In his previous role as Cabinet Office minister he had deftly handled controversial issues such as he “AV” referendum on voting reform and the broader issue of House of Lords reform.
In his letter to the prime minister, Mr Harper said he had employed the cleaner for his London flat in April 2007. At the time, he had had taken a copy of the cleaner’s passport and a letter from the Home Office incidating that she had the right to work in Britain.
When he became immigration minister in September 2012 he considered making further checks, but concluded that this was unnecessary, according to the letter.
Last month, however, Mr Harper asked the cleaner for further copies of the Home Office letter. After his office attempted to confirm the document with the Home Office, immigration officials informed him that the cleaner did not, in fact have indefinite leave to remain.
“Although I complied with the law at all times, I consider that as Immigration Minister, who is taking legislation through Parliament which will toughen up our immigration laws, I should hold myself to a higher standard than expected of others,” Mr Harper wrote to the prime minister.
Mr Cameron called it “an honourable decision” and praised Mr Harper‘s effectiveness as a minister.
Junior Home Office minister James Brokenshire has replaced Mr Harper as immigration minister.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: “Mark has been an excellent minister and he can be proud of the role he has played in sharply reducing immigration to Britain.”
Immigration has been a flashpoint of British politics in recent months, particularly since work restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians were lifted on January 1.
With the anti-immigration UK Independence Party set to perform strongly in the May European elections, the Tories are anxious to improve their credentials on the issue.
Conservative backbenchers have sought tighter controls on migrants from Romania and Bulgaria, along with measures to make it easier to deport convicted criminals.
The rebellion from within the Prime Minister’s own party has focused on the immigration bill, a measure intended to reassure the public, and Tory MPs, that Mr Cameron was cracking down on supposed abuses of Britain’s welfare system by migrant workers.
At the start of the decade, the Tories had pledged to bring net migration down to the “tens of thousands” a year. They remain a way off that target despite reducing the number of annual incomers to 182,000 in the year to June 2013, a 28 per cent reduction since 2010.
Labour issued a sympathetic press release with shadow immigration minister David Hanson saying Mr Harper had done the right thing.
“He has however shown himself to be a decent man in his resignation and I wish him well for the future but perhaps once again the government need to think very carefully about how they approach this issue as it is clear there are limits to the effectiveness of relying on employer and landlord checks to address illegal immigration.”