Blunkett

[Admin]

"Vindictive bitch" are the words that spring to mind over the ex of Mr Blunkett (Home Office Minster). They accuse him of fast tracking a visa application to renew her leave to stay in the UK as a fully employed woman. Rolex!! ::)

This application only takes 2-4 weeks turnaround as it is only an extension on a visa already issued 1/2 years previously.

Ah well, at least the Filipino is famous splashed all over the news & papers :)

[ginapeterb]

Hey..Ive got to see that Keith, didnt know it was a Filipino, hmmmmm have to take peak at it.
thanks

[ginapeterb]

This story is about David's former lover, who has a Ya Ya...from the Philippines, and he is in the pigs trough over allegations he tried to interfere with his own immigration policies on the trafficking of foreigners into this country for the purposes of being a Ya Ya.

Theirs an investigation indpendantly being organized, the country could have laughed it off and not made too much out of it, but the liberal press wont let it drop, as he is the most far right home secretary we have had in a Labour government.

Just goes to show, dont try and fast track your partners, or wifes visa....its not liked.

[Admin]

As I say, she wasn't fast tracked, the papers are confused with an immigration application and a visa extension, not the same, one take a few months, the other weeks.

Also on the radio and a TV station they were saying it was over a passport!! DUH!! Just shows how much they all know. The passport office had bugger all to do with immigration, and anyway, it would be the Philippine Embassy, and as far as I know, Mr Blunkett doesn't work for them.

What he did do was take the form into work and have a colleague verify it was all filled in correctly, as he wanted to ensure she was the one looking after his kids, and he couldn't check it could he, he's blind if no one has noticed. Unless his dog can read but I doubt they train them that well :)

Something out of nothing with our press, as usual, no wonder I only buy the Racing Post.

[peterdavid]

WTF?? Are we all talking about the same news story??

Having happily made it harder and harder for people from the "undesirable" countries (ie non white) to come to Britain and then stay, and doubly hard and inconvenient for them to ultimately acquire British citizenship without the farcial nonsense of a "citizenship ceremony", he then ironically found himself at the mercy of his own inconvenient and appallingly draconian immigration rules which are the bane of every foreigner who doesn't have the luxury of an employer with an illicit lover who happens to be the head of the Home Office.

So what does he do, when he realises his lover's holiday plans might be a tad disrupted because, like everyone else in the situation, his filipina nanny has to wait for the rigid and inflexible "four year working visa" requirement to be met before being granted permanent leave to remain? Well, while it's good enough for the hoi polloy to be inconvenienced with an endless wait whilst his hopelessly incompetent, inefficient turgid shambles of a department bumbles their way at snail's pace through what has been made a bureaucratic nightmare by the bearded tw@t in charge, he (and I acknowledge, at this point in time, allegedly) ensures that waiting in line and suffering the needless inconvenience is not for the likes of Him and "checks" the forms - lo and behold, a 10 month wait is reduced to just 19 days.

I'm sure, being a representative elected and paid for by the people, he will have absolutely no problem "checking" the forms of all our wives and girlfriends too, helpfully reducing that pesky 12 month wait down to a couple of weeks, and no doubt ensuring we can all also avoid the grunting, unhelpful and for the most part downright rude jobsworths the Home Office and Embassies are so fond of employing.

I have no axe to grind, and am not the victim of an immigration application gone wrong, but knowing first hand how appalling, mismanaged and needlessly inefficient and bureaucratic the whole process is (as I'm sure do the rest of you), it sticks in the throat a little that old Whiter than White Blunkett (allegedly) thinks its ok for the rest of us to suffer and waste months, if not years of our lives, going through the turgid motions of his backwards immigration procedures, but not ok for him, who had only to face the handwringing ordeal of a two week wait with, most likely, a guaranteed outcome anway, because of his ability to influence the process.

If he doesn't like the inconvenience and utter awkwardness of his own procedures, he should either improve them or he should grin and bear it and suffer the inconvenience like the rest of us. Too bad if his married lover can't take her nanny to Ireland with her. I'm sure there are people far more inconvenienced by the process than that.

Most filipinos and filipinas here, especially those who come for work reasons, are here to escape the corruption of those in power. When a filipino senator does something similar in the Philippines for one of his cronies, we all condemn them, with a wave of secret relief of "thank god it's not our country of birth". Whether he simply "checked" them, or whether he full on ushered them through the system breathing down the neck of the poor Home Office flunky who had the misfortune to receive the application, it doesn't matter - he should have kept a maximum distance away from the application and had absolutely nothing to do with it. Anything less and he, quite deservedly, opens himself up to all sorts of accusations. He knew his position, he should have had the judgement to know to stay the hell away from any application where he was obviously open to the suggestion of having a personal interest. Any public servant lower down the chain not declaring such a personal interest, and worse, "checking" things to ensure they receive a favourable treatment, would quite rightly be facing a gross misconduct disciplinary hearing followed by an early morning appointment at the local job centre.

And on a related note, seeing as there is no visa category for a filipino(a) to come to the UK as a nanny, how on earth did she secure a work permit in the first place....? Would be very interested in hearing how that happened.

[ginapeterb]

Blunkett denies visa 'fast-track'
The home secretary has denied helping to fast-track a visa application for his ex-lover's former nanny.
The allegation is one of several made in the Sunday Telegraph and, although any impropriety has been denied, Tory leaders want an independent inquiry.

David Blunkett is alleged to have used his position to help Filipina Leoncia Casalme, who worked for Kimberley Quinn, get permanent residency.

Prime Minister Tony Blair says he has "full confidence" in Mr Blunkett.



Inquiry call



As well as the visa claims, reportedly made by Mrs Quinn in an e-mail, the Sunday Telegraph says Mr Blunkett, 57, shared confidential security information with her.

This included telling her parents to avoid Newark Airport near New York hours before a security scare.


Other claims include giving Mrs Quinn, 43, a first-class train ticket which had been assigned to him.
Mrs Quinn is publisher of The Spectator magazine, which is owned by the Barclay Brothers, who also own the Sunday Telegraph.

Ms Casalme left her employment two months ago and now lives in Dagenham, Essex.

Mr Blunkett's spokesman, addressing the visa application allegation, said the home secretary had checked the application form.

'Close relationship'

But he denied that it was processed through Mr Blunkett's office.

The spokesman said that information about the New York security scare was already in the public domain.

And he said that the train ticket was for MPs' spouses and Mr Blunkett and Mrs Quinn were in a "close relationship" at the time.

Mr Blunkett is quoted as saying that he was "very saddened that someone I cared so deeply for should seek quite erroneously, to damage my public position".


[David Blunkett] has nothing to fear. There has been no impropriety
Des Browne

"This cannot be in the interests of any of us. I shall continue to keep my private life private and separate from my public duties," he added.

Shadow home secretary David Davis has called for a judge to carry out an independent inquiry into the newspaper allegations surrounding his relationship with Mrs Quinn.


He made clear he thought Mr Blunkett should consider resigning if the visa allegations were found to be true.

He told Sky News: "It is a very serious allegation. No home secretary could survive that."

Mr Blunkett's case was "similar" to that of former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson, who resigned from the Cabinet after allegations that he tried to influence a passport application, Mr Davis said.

Private lives

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "It is always sad when people's private lives encroach into the political world.

"On the particular allegations over granting a visa, the home secretary has denied any wrong doing and we accept that.

"But if further evidence emerges he will clearly need to make a fuller statement."

Immigration minister Des Browne, who works with Mr Blunkett, insisted there was "no impropriety" in his actions.

He confirmed it would be wrong for ministers to intervene in visa applications but said he did not believe this had happened.

He told Sky News: "I know David Blunkett very well. He is an honest, straightforward man. Whatever inquiries or investigations there need to be in relation to this, he will co-operate fully with.

"He has nothing to fear. There has been no impropriety."

[Admin]

Seems strange a friend of ours got her employment visa in 14 days about the same time as the Nanny last year, and she doesn't know Mr Blunkett ::)

Maybe he took pity on her, and the other few hundred that went through when the new offices opened up with more staff to manange applications.

[peterdavid]

Seems strange a friend of ours got her employment visa in 14 days about the same time as the Nanny last year, and she doesn't know Mr Blunkett ::)

Maybe he took pity on her, and the other few hundred that went through when the new offices opened up with more staff to manange applications.

And was this visa issued just a couple of weeks after a previous, completely contradictory letter from the Home Office stating that the visa could NOT in fact be issued, that it had to be subject to further investigation before a decision could be made and that a decision was unlikely to be made before the next 12 months..?

And was this visa also issued 2-3 months before your friend became eligible for permanent leave to remain, in clear breach of the immigration rules?

If not, then with respect, I do not see the connection between the two cases, other than a similar category of visa. I'm assuming your friend applied for the same category of visa (ie permanent leave to remain from the Home Office, rather than an employment visa entry clearance from the Embassy in the Philippines..?)

If Blunkett has in fact misused his position in order to obtain a personal advantage which would not be available to any other applicant, then this is an abuse of power which cannot, and should not, go unpunished.

My congratulations to the nanny though - she is no doubt now the envy of millions back home, all desperate to escape the crushing poverty but increasingly finding their options and opportunities to do so utterly closed off by right wing absolute authoritarians like Blunkett, who would rather our perfect shores weren't sullied by these undesirables who have the nerve to come and try for a better life in Fortress Britain despite not having the manners to be born in a country which would offer them a half decent education. The man is the living epitome of compassion and understanding. When it benefits his personal situation.

[Admin]

And was this visa issued just a couple of weeks after a previous, completely contradictory letter from the Home Office stating that the visa could NOT in fact be issued, that it had to be subject to further investigation before a decision could be made and that a decision was unlikely to be made before the next 12 months..?


Yes, this was a standard letter at the time. Would you like a copy?


And was this visa also issued 2-3 months before your friend became eligible for permanent leave to remain, in clear breach of the immigration rules?

Yes, 4 months actually, and it's not against the rules as long as all the paperwork was in order. The thing is, they have already done all the checks they required when the previous visa was applied for. You are allowed to switch visa's, pretty stupid if you can't.

I know a lot of Filipino nurses, and it took 1 month of immigration processing to get their families over here. Some have since changed to work visa's in that time. So must be a lotof rule breaking going.

It clearly states on all paperwork my wife received "No cash payments" yet only last Tuesday we paid cash. It also states on British Citizenship applications a list of proof of English, but they will except other proof not on the list, breaking the rules again eh? :)

I'm not defending anyones actions, but immigration is based on each individual case and they are allowed flexibility, but not with the first application. You'd be surprised what they had on record about my wife, as the guy showed us on Tuesday (that must be against the rules as well!).

[peterdavid]

Wow, fair enough then.

My interactions with the Home Office take place on two levels - one on a professional level as part of my job, and the other on a personal level due to my wife being a filipina.

On all occasions when I have had to deal with them on a professional level, I have found them to be utterly inept, incompetent and borderline useless, lacking even the simple ability to even maintain an up to date list of people who are in the country.

However, for the times when I have had to deal with them on a personal level, to be honest I have found them almost always (with minor exceptions) to be pretty friendly, helpful and 'human(e)' to me (us), even at times seemingly going out of their way to help. It is all a significant marked (albeit refreshing) contrast from the attitude demonstrated by the staff working overseas at the Embassy (in many Asian countries deemed 'poorer' then the UK).

And to be honest (further), from my professional dealings with them over the years, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that they could make such a blunder by issuing a letter saying it will take 12 months, followed by the visa being issued two working weeks later. Sometimes their inefficiency works against you, other times you benefit. You never can tell with the Home Office.

I still stand by my main theme that Blunkett, due to the position he has, should have kept the hell away from any personal involvement in any application and especially one which involved the issuing of a visa for the nanny of his own child, including avoiding any "checking of the paperwork", for the same reasons that the original trial judge in OJ Simpson's trial stood down for part of the hearing (not because of the presence of his guilt in being unduly swayed, but to remove the suggestion that it could be there at all - can't remember exactly how it was phrased way back then or what the specific conflict of interest was - but you get my point..??).

However, I take your point that it may not be as unusual as it appears, despite the parade of immigration lawyers on the news saying the opposite, because I also do fully appreciate that such inconsistency and contradiction is far more widespread in the Home Office than normally gets trumpeted about on the news as well. :)

[Admin]

I don't suppose Blunkett could read the letter properly anyway ;D

If you want utter stupidity, just call the Welsh Assembly, complete waste of money.

When we were in the Liverpool Immigration office the other day we were both shocked to see how organised it was. You are informed of everything they are doing as they go through your application.

I know they are improving with extra offices anf staff now that the goverment is rebuilding them after the hatchet was put to them by the Tories.

Even the Aslyum seekers their new what was happening, and all the ones we spoke to were happy with the treatment. Bit different than what the press make out!

[Rob4Elsa]

It just annoys me sometimes that the UK is these days so obsessed with being so "morally correct". I am not a fan of Blunkett or indeed of Labour, but give this poor guy a break....its bad enough getting your dirty laundry aired in public without the papers twisting and make mountains out of the so-called allegations. Lets face it, people in government have been using that "power" to their advantage for years, it happens everywhere else in the world, its just that in the UK, we claim to be whiter than white. ???

[peterdavid]

I don't suppose Blunkett could read the letter properly anyway ;D

If you want utter stupidity, just call the Welsh Assembly, complete waste of money.

When we were in the Liverpool Immigration office the other day we were both shocked to see how organised it was. You are informed of everything they are doing as they go through your application.

I know they are improving with extra offices anf staff now that the goverment is rebuilding them after the hatchet was put to them by the Tories.

Even the Aslyum seekers their new what was happening, and all the ones we spoke to were happy with the treatment. Bit different than what the press make out!

Yes - the government started ploughing money into it to clear the huge asylum seeker backlog (both at the Home Office for the initial applications and with the courts to clear the appeals tribunals) - good to hear it seems to be having some positive effect.

As always, the press, with its own agenda, conveniently ignores this aspect, but one can always rest assured the Sun will manage to dig up a family of 7 asylum seekers in Bolton temporarily living in a 4 bedroom house whilst permanent accommodation is found, and splash them all over the front pages for its next scandal.

I hear the Welsh Assembly is starting to follow the healthy precedent set by the Scottish parliament and is about to massively blow its budget for the cost of the new public buildings. Must make you proud to see your council tax used so wisely ::)

[Admin]

I vote for the Welsh Assembly building to be constructed on Mt Pinatubo ;D

[peterdavid]

It just annoys me sometimes that the UK is these days so obsessed with being so "morally correct". I am not a fan of Blunkett or indeed of Labour, but give this poor guy a break....its bad enough getting your dirty laundry aired in public without the papers twisting and make mountains out of the so-called allegations. Lets face it, people in government have been using that "power" to their advantage for years, it happens everywhere else in the world, its just that in the UK, we claim to be whiter than white. ???


Blunkett poked the pie, now he has to pay for it. No-one forced him to have an affair with a married woman, or get her pregnant. Twice. He knew the risks, he also knew this woman wasn't exactly the sort you could trust (cheated on her first husband and cheating on her second after 9 weeks with Blunkers), now it's all gone tits up, he has, really, only got himself to blame. If he can't stand the heat, he shoulda stayed out the kitchen.

He also gave his illicit lover free first class rail tickets, despite clearly knowing they were only allowed to be given to spouses. He's blind, not illiterate. Exactly which part of "spouse" did he not understand?

I'm not too fussed with the "morals" of whether he had an affair, although I don't have much sympathy if he wants to bleat on about it now it's all gone sour - but as far as I'm concerned, that's up to him (and to his credit, he hasn't done much moaning about his woes, not in public anyway). But dishing out his first class rail tickets (that we pay for), just to impress her, and quite possibly using his position to jump the system - that is the sort of thing which, as a taxpayer, people do, rightfully, care about. Just as I would if a director of a company, of which I was a shareholder, misused company funds and "bent" company rules to gain personal advantage.

No one is "whiter than white". However, just because corruption and malpractice happen in other countries, it doesn't mean we should just shrug our shoulders and tolerate it here. Many countries, including this one, have at one time practised apartheid. Should the same logic be thus applied to enable us to all turn a blind eye to it, just because it happens elsewhere and has been going on for years?

[peterdavid]

I vote for the Welsh Assembly building to be constructed on Mt Pinatubo ;D

Give it a few years, it will probably fall down as if it had. ;D

[Admin]

...and who would notice? :)

[peterdavid]

No-one. Except the couple of hundred irrelevant politicians and civil servants who would lose their cushy little performance-unrelated job for life. :)

[Admin]

At least the Scottish Parliament has some clout, the Welsh one is there to keep the sheep happy :o