Key occasions
Manston asylum centre not working legally, concedes minister
The federal government has conceded that the asylum processing centre at Manston in Kent shouldn’t be working legally, my colleague Peter Walker stories. His full story is right here.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen faces five-day suspension for breaking lobbying guidelines and for smearing requirements commissioner
The Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen faces being suspended from the Commons for 5 days after a report discovered he broke the foundations on lobbying.
In a report, the Commons requirements committee says Bridgen broke the foundations on registration, declaration and paid lobbying “on a number of events and in a number of methods”. It says:
Mr Bridgen has demonstrated a really cavalier angle to the Home’s guidelines on registration and declaration of pursuits, together with repeatedly saying that he didn’t examine his personal entry within the register.
The report says Bridgen must be suspended from the Commons for 2 days for breaches of two sections of the MPs’ Code of Conduct and an additional three sitting days for an “unacceptable assault upon the integrity” of the requirements commissioner.
Through the investigation Bridgen despatched an e mail to the parliamentary commissioner for requirements, Kathryn Stone. It mentioned:
I used to be distressed to listen to on various events an unsubstantiated hearsay that your contract as parliamentary requirements commissioner is because of finish within the coming months and that there are superior plans to give you a peerage, doubtlessly as quickly because the prime minister’s resignation honours listing. There may be additionally some suggestion amongst colleagues that these plans are dependent upon arriving on the ‘proper’ outcomes when conducting parliamentary requirements investigation […] I do apologise in the event you discover the contents of this letter offensive, it’s actually not my intention, however I’d be grateful in the event you would supply me reassurance that you’re not about to be provided an honour or peerage and that the rumours are certainly malicious and baseless.
The report mentioned the e-mail was “an try to put wholly inappropriate stress on the commissioner” and that “this was utterly unacceptable behaviour”.
Residence Workplace denies it’s in charge for asylum seekers being left stranded in London
Good morning. As my colleague Amelia Gentleman stories in our in a single day splash, the Residence Workplace deserted 11 asylum seekers from the Manston migration processing centre in central London on Tuesday, with out lodging or heat clothes. Right here is the story.
On the As we speak programme this morning Danial Abbas, a volunteer with Below One Sky, a homelessness charity that helped the asylum seekers, mentioned that somebody from the Residence Workplace advised him a “large error” had been made. Abbas mentioned:
I personally was in contact with a gentleman from the Residence Workplace that complete night. In a short time an answer was discovered. He instantly, you recognize, put his fingers up on behalf of the Residence Workplace and mentioned, ‘This has been a large error, let’s get this sorted ASAP’.
The Residence Workplace didn’t present a remark for our story final night time, however this morning it has issued a press release. It says that the 11 asylum seekers who had been left stranded had initially advised employees they’d have someplace to remain in London, and that it’s subsequently improper to say the Residence Workplace made a mistake. A spokesperson mentioned:
The people had been transported to Victoria coach station, London, as a result of they mentioned they’d lodging in that location which might not depart them destitute. They advised us they’d lodging with buddies of household accessible to them.
Any suggestion there was an error in transporting the people to Victoria is improper.
The Residence Workplace labored at tempo to search out lodging for the people after we had been notified that 11 of them didn’t in actual fact have a spot to remain.
The Residence Workplace additionally says the group had been solely in London for a number of hours earlier than lodging was discovered for them.
That is unlikely to be the final phrase on the matter. Suella Braverman, the house secretary, is visiting Dover right now (though she shouldn’t be planning media interviews), and there’s a good likelihood we could get an pressing query on this within the Commons.
In different developments, Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, has mentioned the federal government is dealing with authorized motion over the circumstances through which folks have been held at Manston, and 4 Commons choose committee chairs (two Tories, one from Labour and one from the SNP) have written an open letter to Braverman demanding solutions to a sequence of questions concerning the “dire circumstances” at Manston.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Kemi Badenoch, the worldwide commerce secretary, takes questions within the Commons.
10.30am: Penny Mordaunt, the chief of the Commons, makes a press release within the Commons on subsequent week’s enterprise.
11.30am: Downing Avenue holds a foyer briefing.
12pm: The Financial institution of England broadcasts its rate of interest determination, and holds a press convention.
3pm: Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, offers a speech on the Anthropy convention on the Eden Venture in Cornwall.
I attempt to monitor the feedback beneath the road (BTL) however it’s unattainable to learn all of them. In case you have a direct query, do embody “Andrew” in it someplace and I’m extra more likely to discover it. I do attempt to reply questions, and if they’re of common curiosity, I’ll publish the query and reply above the road (ATL), though I can’t promise to do that for everybody.
If you wish to entice my consideration rapidly, it’s most likely higher to make use of Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to e mail me at andrew.sparrow@theguardian.com