Hughes quits leaving immigration 'in chaos'

BRITAIN'S immigration minister Beverley Hughes resigned yesterday after admitting she had been tipped off about a suspected east European visa scam more than a year ago.

Tory leader Michael Howard claimed last night that Britain's immigration system was now "in chaos," as Prime Minister Tony Blair and Home Secretary David Blunkett fought to limit the damage done by Ms Hughes' decision to quit.

It followed a week of posturing by Mr Blunkett and other ministers in which they insisted there would be no "scalp" and no resignations as a result of revelations that the government had known for two years about concerns involving Bulgaria and Romania.

Ms Hughes was forced to admit she had been made aware of the abuse of the visa system in those countries by ex-Home Office minister and now Labour deputy chief whip Bob Ainsworth in a letter dated March 2003.

She said that meant answers she had given to TV interviews on Monday night were misleading and she told Mr Blair at 8.15am yesterday in Downing Street that she was resigning.

Mr Howard said last night in Plymouth: "this is a government that has let the country down on one of its most important responsibilities, which is the control of our frontiers and the control of immigration.

"It is quite clear from what has happened over the last month that the government's policy on immigration is in chaos.

Ms Hughes told BBC 2's Newsnight programme on Monday that the first she had known of the visa affair was when it was raised by shadow home secretary David Davis.

But Mr Ainsworth cornered Ms Hughes in the MPs' lobby in the Commons, on a day all concerned refuse to reveal, to remind her that he had written to her last March warning her of the scam. Ms Hughes then found his letter, to which she had replied saying she knew already of the concerns.

She told Mr Blunkett of that letter over dinner between the two on Tuesday evening, said Mr Blair's official spokesman.

Ms Hughes informed the prime minister of its implications at a meeting, also attended by Mr Blunkett, in the Commons late on Wednesday afternoon.

She offered to resign on the spot, but the three decided to reflect on the issue overnight, said Mr Blair's spokesman.

She quit yesterday morning. Mr Blunkett said: "I am deeply saddened, as we all are. I have absolute, remain having absolute, confidence in her."

Mr Blair, speaking at his monthly news conference, said of Ms Hughes: "the reason why she felt she had to resign was because she felt that, on reflection, the answers she gave in interviews on the Monday night were not consistent with the correspondence that she was going to give to this inquiry."

It was later announced that Department of Work and Pensions minister Des Browne would replace Ms Hughes as immigration minister.