Blunkett ‘intimidated’ officials into fast-tracking visa says official
Home Secretary David Blunkett is alleged to have intimidated officials into fast-tracking a visa application for his former lover’s nanny.
A “senior Whitehall insider” makes the claims in today’s Sunday Times, alleging that Mr Blunkett “hit the roof” when told by officials that they were trying to clear a backlog of visa applications.
During a meeting called by the Home Secretary to discuss the backlog, Mr Blunkett is said to have produced the nanny’s official letter stating she faced a year-long wait for a visa as proof that officials were failing to reduce the build up.
The Sunday Times claims that following the meeting, a Home Office official called immigration headquarters and asked that Leoncia Casalme’s application be “sorted.”
The application was approved within days.
Mr Blunkett refutes allegations that he abused his position to fast-track the application.
The Home Secretary has appointed former civil servant Sir Alan Budd to carry out an inquiry into the claims arising from his affair with Spectator publisher Kimberly Quinn.
Meanwhile, in an interview to be broadcast on BBC Radio Sheffield, Mr Blunkett has spoken of his love for Mrs Quinn.
The interview was recorded before allegations surrounding her nanny’s visa application emerged.
“I fell in love with someone and they wouldn’t go public and things started to go very badly wrong in the summer, and then the News of the World picked up the story”, Mr Blunkett said of his former relationship with Mrs Quinn.
“I tried for three years to make something work.”
“I haven’t spoken about it and I don’t intend to. Even in the biography that’s being written about me I’ve ensured that there’s as little as possible,” he added.
Reports suggest that Mr Blunkett is planning to take legal action to contest the paternity of Mrs Quinn’s son and her unborn baby, which is due in February.
