Government Insider Reveals How Theresa May Got Into The Windrush Mess
18 April 2018, 12:02 | Updated: 18 April 2018, 12:18
Polly Mackenzie was the advisor to Nick Clegg during the coalition government. She told James O'Brien what went on behind the scenes to lead to the Windrush scandal.
The government has apologised after admitting that some people, who came over from the Caribbean as citizens in the 1960s, have been deported in error.
And Ms Mackenzie revealed the issue came started when Theresa May was tasked with reducing immigration to the tens of thousands, but had no control over migration from the EU.
She said: "She had to be relentless in coming up with endless policy initiatives to tackle non-EEA migrants, or undocumented migrants - or illegal migrants as she saw it.
"They set up a task force on migrant access to public services. They had this absolutely clear view that life was dead cushty for anyone who was an illegal immigrant, because you could just swan about, claiming benefits and living off the state."
James summed it up: "What you're describing is the Home Office operating in an alternative reality, written for them by the Daily Mail and Ukip."
Watch Polly's full, fascinating account of the coalition's approach to immigration at the top of the page.
