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| Immigration Minister Mark Harper resigns after employing a cleaner working in the UK illegally | Immigration Minister Mark Harper resigns after employing a cleaner working in the UK illegally |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Immigration Minister Mark Harper has resigned over his employment of a cleaner in the UK illegally. | The Immigration Minister Mark Harper has resigned over his employment of a cleaner in the UK illegally. |
| The Prime Minister has accepted his resignation in an exchange of letters between Mr Harper and David Cameron. | The Prime Minister has accepted his resignation in an exchange of letters between Mr Harper and David Cameron. |
| There was "no suggestion that Mr Harper knowingly employed an illegal immigrant", Number 10 said but the Prime Minister "accepted his resignation with regret". He is replaced by junior Home Office minister James Brokenshire as Minister of State. | |
| Number 10 said the Forest of Dean MP offered his resignation after being informed of the situation this month. | |
| "The Prime Minister has accepted the resignation of the Immigration Minister, Mark Harper," a spokeswoman said. | "The Prime Minister has accepted the resignation of the Immigration Minister, Mark Harper," a spokeswoman said. |
| "Mark Harper offered his resignation after he was informed that his cleaner did not have indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, despite having shown him documents claiming she did. | "Mark Harper offered his resignation after he was informed that his cleaner did not have indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, despite having shown him documents claiming she did. |
| "He immediately notified the Prime Minister - who accepted his resignation with regret. There is no suggestion that Mr Harper knowingly employed an illegal immigrant." | "He immediately notified the Prime Minister - who accepted his resignation with regret. There is no suggestion that Mr Harper knowingly employed an illegal immigrant." |
| In his letter of resignation, Mr Harper said he employed his cleaner in 2007 for his London flat and undertook checks to verify her leave to remain indefinitely in the UK. He then asked for further proof of her right to work in the UK earlier this year, which revealed she was working in the UK illegally. | In his letter of resignation, Mr Harper said he employed his cleaner in 2007 for his London flat and undertook checks to verify her leave to remain indefinitely in the UK. He then asked for further proof of her right to work in the UK earlier this year, which revealed she was working in the UK illegally. |
| "As a result, in the week commencing 20 January 2014 I asked my cleaner for further copies of these documents which she provided on 4 February", he wrote. | |
| "On 5 February, I asked my private office to check the details with immigration officials to confirm that all was in order. I was informed on the morning of 6 February that my cleaner did not in fact have indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom." | |
| Mr Harper said that while he had not broken the law as an employer, he believed that his position meant he must "hold myself to a higher standard than expected of others". | |
| He conceded that he "should have checked more thoroughly" on taking on the highly-sensitive role that the documents the cleaner recruited to look after his London flat provided in 2007 were genuine. | |
| In his response, Mr Cameron writes: “I am very sorry indeed to see you leave the Government, but I understand your reasons for doing so. | In his response, Mr Cameron writes: “I am very sorry indeed to see you leave the Government, but I understand your reasons for doing so. |
| “In particular, I understand your view that, although you carried out checks on your cleaner, you feel that you should hold yourself to an especially high standard as Immigration Minister. You have taken an honourable decision.” | “In particular, I understand your view that, although you carried out checks on your cleaner, you feel that you should hold yourself to an especially high standard as Immigration Minister. You have taken an honourable decision.” |
| "You will be greatly missed, and I hope very much that you will be able to return to service on the frontbench before too long." | |
| More to follow | More to follow |