Clegg ‘furious’ at child’s Christmas detention
By politics.co.uk staff
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg reacted angrily upon discovering his pledge ending child detention in immigration removal centres had been broken, according to a report.
The Liberal Democrat leader had made the promise in one of his first appearances at the despatch box last summer, after years of attacking the practise of child detention from the opposition benches.
He repeated the claim in a speech in January, where he said the issue had been dealt with “by our first Christmas in office”.
But it has emerged that an 11-year-old girl was held at Tinsley House immigration removal centre overnight, from Christmas Day to Boxing Day, the Independent reported.
“Nick was absolutely furious when he found out about this,” a source close to Mr Clegg told the newspaper.
“I’m sure this was an honest mistake but if the public are to have confidence in our new system, then we have to get these things exactly right. The commitment to ending child detention is one that Liberal Democrats are rightly proud of.”
The UK Border Agency, responsible for the mistake, said the girl’s overnight detention had only emerged once initial figures for the end of the month had been assessed. It has apologised for the error.
