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Amber Rudd resigns - as it happened: Sajid Javid appointed new home secretary

Home secretary steps down after increasing pressure over handling of Windrush scandal

Samuel Osborne,Ashley Cowburn

Monday 30 April 2018 07:11 BST

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Sajid Javid appointed as Home Secretary

Sajid Javid has made his debut in Parliament as the new home secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd.

As he arrived at the Home Office to take up new his job earlier in the day, Mr Javid vowed to make sure people caught up in the Windrush scandal are treated with “decency and fairness”.

Ms Rudd became the fifth departure from the cabinet since last year’s snap general election after admitting she had “inadvertently” misled MPs over the existence of targets for removing illegal immigrants.

The MP for Hastings and Rye stepped down on Sunday evening, a day before she was due to make a statement in the House of Commons on the targets and illegal migration, as she faced increasing pressure over the handling of the Windrush fiasco.

Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

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1/15Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Jamaican immigrants being welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Alford Gardner who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex, speaking at his home in Leeds

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Alford Gardner in Leeds shortly after he arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Gardner was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain disembarked the ship in Tilbury Docks

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Alford Gardner (right), during his RAF service in 1947

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

The son of Ruth Williams, a Windrush-generation immigrant, wants to the leave the country after threats of deportation. According to his mother, Mr Haynes applied for British citizenship in 2016 but was rejected, despite Ms Williams having lived in the UK almost permanently since arriving from St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1959. Ruth Williams, 75, said she felt "betrayed" by Britain after the Home Office twice turned down applications for her 35-year-old son, Mozi Haynes, to remain in the country. Ms Williams is understood to have cancer and said she relies heavily on her son for support.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

The British liner 'Empire Windrush' at port in 1954.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Ruth Williams, 75, with her British passport. "I feel betrayed and a second class citizen in my own country," she said. "This makes me so sad and the Home Office must show some compassion. "I am unwell and almost 75, I live on my own and I need my son to stay here. I need my family around me and I can’t face being alone. He has applied to the Home Office and been refused twice."

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

From the top, hopeful Jamaican boxers Charles Smith, Ten Ansel, Essi Reid, John Hazel, Boy Solas and manager Mortimer Martin arrive at Tilbury on the Empire Windrush in the hope of finding work in Britain.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Jamaicans reading a newspaper whilst on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' bound for Tilbury docks in Essex.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

After half a century in Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Jamaica-born Anthony Bryan poses outside his home in Edmonton, north London. Now 60 and a grandfather, Bryan thought the issue could be resolved swiftly, as he legally moved to Britain with his family as part of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants after World War II. In 1948, the ship Windrush brought the first group of migrants from the West Indies to help rebuild post-war Britain, and many others followed from around the Commonwealth. A 1971 law gave them indefinite leave to remain, but many never formalised their status, often because they were children who came over on their parents' passports and then never applied for their own.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Three Jamaican immigrants (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush', smartly dressed in zoot suits and trilby hats.

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Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK

Newly arrived Jamaican immigrants on board the 'Empire Windrush' at Tilbury in 1948.

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Who is Amber Rudd's replacement as Home Secretary?Sajid Javid has enjoyed a meteoric rise through British politics, with his crowning achievement so far the replacement of Amber Rudd as home secretary. First among his many tasks will be dealing with the fallout from the Windrush fiasco that put paid to his predecessor. The 48-year-old former investment banker often described as a "true Thatcherite" won the promotion after spending the previous 18 months as communities secretary. He is the first BAME person to hold the post.

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 13:13

Sajid Javid will make Theresa May's life easier – but not for long, our political sketch writer, Tom Peck, writes.

'Sajid Javid will make Theresa May's life easier – but not for long'In simpler times, the first black or minority ethnic person to hold one of the country’s four great offices of state would be a moment of history worth pausing to acknowledge. But life moves too fast these days, and the deserved elevation of Sajid Javid to the highest realm of politics immediately poses questions of huge importance. Javid is considered a safe pair of hands, even if the definition of that term has been devalued in the chaos of recent times.

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 13:35

Diane Abbott repeatedly declined to spell out her position on the deportation of illegal immigrants as she was pressed on the issue eight times in a live TV interview.

Labour's shadow home secretary told ITV1's Good Morning Britain she did not back an amnesty of the kind floated by Boris Johnson and said it was "not Labour's position" that up to a million people believed to be living illegally in the UK should be made to go home.

But when presenter Piers Morgan pressed her for more detail, the shadow home secretary said only that she was working on a policy which would make the handling of migration "fairer and more efficient".

Ms Abbott said: "The immigration and nationality department is not fit for purpose. That's why many of these issues have arisen. I don't blame the staff, but it is an department that needs reviewing and reorganising and the right level of support.

"We are working on immigration policy. Obviously, post-Brexit everybody has got to consider immigration policy. But the main plank of what we want to do is have a much fairer system - fair rules and a reasonable management of migration."

She suggested viewers would be "surprised" Mr Morgan did not want to discuss the Windrush scandal.

But the presenter said they had already spent some time talking about that issue, telling Ms Abbott: "I'm not trying to trap you, I'm just trying to ask you a simple question.

"What do we do about illegal immigrants in this country? Do we let them stay? Boris Johnson has suggested an amnesty, you say no amnesty, so the logical fallout from that is that we get them all out of the country, isn't it?"

The pair continued their spat later on Twitter, with Ms Abbott saying viewers would judge for themselves whether Morgan was trying to trap her.

Morgan insisted he was not, and accused the shadow home secretary of failing to give "a straight factual answer to this fundamental question".

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 13:46

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 13:55

Theresa May admits she knew of targets to deport illegal immigrants – hours after a Cabinet minister suggested she had no knowledgeTheresa May has revealed she did know there were targets for deporting illegal immigrants – hours after a Cabinet minister suggested she had no knowledge. The comment will pile pressure on the prime minister to explain to MPs why she did not intervene, to point out that Amber Rudd – when denying the targets existed – had misled parliament.

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 14:26

Theresa May praised Amber Rudd for her work as home secretary when she was asked what responsibility she herself should take for what went wrong.

She said: "First of all I was very sorry when Amber Rudd made the decision to resign.

"I think she can look back with pride on her time of office as home secretary.

"If you look at some of the issues she has dealt with, responding to the terrorists attacks, keeping us safe, work she has done on domestic violence, on modern slavery and the work she has done with the internet companies internationally - that is again helping to keep us safe.

"Throughout all of this she has acted with integrity and with compassion and with selflessness."

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 14:49

When Ms May was asked why she accepted Ms Rudd's resignation, she said: "Amber spoke to me last night and I accepted her resignation.

"Amber resigned because of answers, responses, information she had given to Parliament which proved to be inaccurate."

The prime minister was also asked why she had not spoken out about the immigration targets, and replied: "When I was home secretary we did have targets, targets for ensuring we were dealing with illegal immigrants and I think if you ask any member of the public they will say that they do want Government making sure that people who are here illegally are removed and are not able to stay in the UK.

"It is only fair on ordinary working people, people who work hard, who contribute to see that those people who come here illegally, who perhaps haven't contributed, aren't able to make the same use of services."

Asked if she allowed Ms Rudd "to fall on her sword" to protect herself, she replied: "Amber resigned because of information that she had given to Parliament which proved to be inaccurate.

"She has a good record as home secretary, she can look back on her term of office with pride and in all of that she has acted with compassion, integrity and selflessness."

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 15:01

When Theresa May was asked about Mr Javid taking over Ms Rudd's role, she said: "I think he will be an excellent home secretary.

"Sajid has already shown his capabilities as a minister through the various ministerial posts he has held, most recently at the ministry of housing, communities and local government."

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 15:19

Motion to force government to give Parliament more say on Brexit gets cross-party backing ahead of crunch voteSenior members of the House of Lords have given their backing to a motion that could force Theresa May to let Parliament set the terms of Brexit. In a joint article for The Independent, Labour, Liberal Democrat and crossbencher peers said the amendment, tabled by the Conservatives’ Viscount Hailsham, enshrined the idea that “the future of our country should be determined by Parliament”.

Samuel Osborne30 April 2018 15:27

Labour to end 'national scandal' of low-paid debt trap by capping overdraft feesLabour has said it would bring in a cap on the total amount that can be paid in overdraft fees or interest payments. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the policy would end the “national scandal” of low-paid families being trapped in debt. The policy would help 2.7 million people currently in their overdrafts and save them the equivalent of £86 a year, the party said.

Ashley Cowburn30 April 2018 16:07

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