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01/12/2004
Blunkett faces down claims of wrong doing
David Blunkett has refuted allegations of wrong doing and said he played no part in fast tracking a visa application for his former lover's nanny.
Mr Blunkett was forced to issue a statement this morning following the publication in the Daily Mail of two Home Office letters to Leoncia Casalme, Kimberly Quinn's nanny.
The first informed Ms Casalme that her application could take up to a year to process and the second letter, dated 19 days later says that she is now free to stay in the country indefinitely.
Speaking before going into work this morning, the Home Secretary said: "There is no dispute whatsoever about the documents that the Daily Mail have produced this morning. They are authentic. They prove absolutely nothing except that we were moving through the process of fast-tracking a very large number of documents prior to the beginning of charging for indefinite leave to remain.
"I wouldn’t be standing here and I wouldn’t have had the support of the Prime Minister or have requested myself on Sunday the review if I thought there was any doubt whatsoever about what I’d done, my integrity, my openness."
Downing Street has maintained its support for Mr Blunkett and suggested that the result of the review commissioned on Monday could be known as early as next week.
In defence of the Home Secretary, the Shadow Home Secretary suggested that it could be that civil servants 'knew the particular application had passed through Mr Blunkett's private office so processed it quickly.'
Meanwhile Mrs Quinn, the Publisher of the Spectator Magazine, who is seven months pregnant has been in hospital since Monday.
She is reported to have been admitted suffering from "stress".
(mmcg/sp)
Mr Blunkett was forced to issue a statement this morning following the publication in the Daily Mail of two Home Office letters to Leoncia Casalme, Kimberly Quinn's nanny.
The first informed Ms Casalme that her application could take up to a year to process and the second letter, dated 19 days later says that she is now free to stay in the country indefinitely.
Speaking before going into work this morning, the Home Secretary said: "There is no dispute whatsoever about the documents that the Daily Mail have produced this morning. They are authentic. They prove absolutely nothing except that we were moving through the process of fast-tracking a very large number of documents prior to the beginning of charging for indefinite leave to remain.
"I wouldn’t be standing here and I wouldn’t have had the support of the Prime Minister or have requested myself on Sunday the review if I thought there was any doubt whatsoever about what I’d done, my integrity, my openness."
Downing Street has maintained its support for Mr Blunkett and suggested that the result of the review commissioned on Monday could be known as early as next week.
In defence of the Home Secretary, the Shadow Home Secretary suggested that it could be that civil servants 'knew the particular application had passed through Mr Blunkett's private office so processed it quickly.'
Meanwhile Mrs Quinn, the Publisher of the Spectator Magazine, who is seven months pregnant has been in hospital since Monday.
She is reported to have been admitted suffering from "stress".
(mmcg/sp)
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Pioneering crime-busting centre to be opened in Liverpool
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Blunkett holds 'constructive' talks with Afghan President
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14 May 2003
Police to roll out fines scheme for anti-social crime
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Police to roll out fines scheme for anti-social crime
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11 April 2003
School-leavers encouraged toward voluntary work
Young people from low-income backgrounds are to get extra support to become volunteers for a year after they finish school, college or training.
School-leavers encouraged toward voluntary work
Young people from low-income backgrounds are to get extra support to become volunteers for a year after they finish school, college or training.
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