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Downing Street insists legacy asylum claims cleared – despite 4,537 remaining to be decided | Politics News

Downing Street has insisted that the prime minister has achieved his target of clearing the legacy backlog of asylum claims, despite the government’s own data showing that 4,537 remain.

Rishi Sunak pledged in December 2022 that he would “abolish” the legacy backlog of asylum claims made before 28 June of that year, with the Home Office being given the target of the end of 2023.

On Monday, the department said the pledge had been “delivered”, having processed more than 112,000 asylum claims overall in 2023.

There were more than 92,000 asylum claims made before 28 June 2022 requiring a decision, but 4,537 remain, according to the government’s official data.

Analysis: Sunak's asylum backlog claim isn't true - according to the government's own statistics

Analysis: Sunak’s asylum backlog claim isn’t true – according to the government’s own statistics

It seems the government has shot itself in the foot by misleadingly focusing on a specific promise made by the PM which hasn’t quite been met.

Read here

Speaking to journalists this morning, the prime minister’s spokesperson said the legacy backlog of asylum claims has, in fact, been cleared as promised because all cases have been reviewed, and the remaining ones simply “require additional work”.

The spokesperson said: “We committed to clearing the backlog, that is what the government has done. We are being very transparent about what that entails.

“We have processed all of those cases and indeed gone further than the original commitment. We’re up to 112,000 decisions made overall.

“As a result of that process, there are a small minority of cases which are complex and which, because of our rigorous standards, require further work.

“But nonetheless, it is a significant piece of work by Home Office officials to process such huge numbers in a short period of time while retaining our rigorous safety standard.”

The government has said that the remaining 4,537 more complex cases typically involve “asylum seekers presenting as children – where age verification is taking place; those with serious medical issues; or those with suspected past convictions, where checks may reveal criminality that would bar asylum”.

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Home Secretary discusses government’s work to process asylum claims

However, the CEO of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, said it is “misleading for the government to claim that the legacy backlog has been cleared as there are thousands still waiting for a decision”.

And Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper labelled the claim that the backlog has been cleared “totally false”.

She told broadcasters: “They made a whole series of promises about clearing the asylum backlog and they haven’t delivered them.

“Instead, the asylum backlog is still nearly 100,000 cases, and we’ve still got thousands of people, record numbers of people in asylum hotels. So, the government’s just failing on all counts.”

The policy is central to government plans to stop small boat crossings
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Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson has rejected accusations that the government has made “misleading” claims

The prime minister’s spokesperson was also asked about an apparent suggestion from Home Secretary James Cleverly on LBC radio this morning that the government’s goal is to stop small boat crossings entirely in 2024.

Downing Street said they are “not going to set out a deadline”, but said the Rwanda bill – that is due to return to the Commons “this month” – is a “key part” of stopping small boat crossings.

Mr Cleverly did not make the suggestion that boats would be stopped this year elsewhere, and a source close to him said: “Tackling illegal migration is by virtue of what it is, a product of criminal people smuggling gangs, should always be a mission to zero, and as quickly as possible.

“We’ll do what it takes, using a whole range of tactics to get to zero to break the business model of these ruthless smugglers who don’t care if people live or die, just as long as they pay.”

It comes after Mr Sunak admitted to parliament’s liaison committee just before Christmas there is no “firm date” to stop small boat crossings entirely.

Up until today, there had been fears for months that the prime minister’s target would not be achieved, and in an appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee in December, the prime minister was unable to say when the remaining overall backlog of asylum claims would be cleared.

In February last year, the Home Office said thousands of asylum seekers would be sent questionnaires which could be used to speed up a decision on their claims, and about 12,000 people from Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Libya and Yemen, who had applied for asylum in the UK and were waiting for a decision, were understood to be eligible under the policy.

In June, the National Audit Office (NAO) said efforts to clear the backlog needed to significantly increase to clear the backlog and questioned whether the plans were sustainable.

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The spending watchdog also estimated £3.6bn was spent on asylum support in 2022-23, which amounted to almost double the previous year.

More caseworkers had been tasked with processing applications, which the Home Office has previously said was “tripling productivity to ensure more illegal migrants are returned to their country of origin, quicker”.

But the department’s top civil servant, Sir Matthew Rycroft, revealed in a letter to MPs that just 1,182 migrants who had crossed the Channel had been returned to their home country since 2020, out of a total of more than 111,800 who arrived in that time period.

The majority of those returned were from Albania, with whom the UK has a returns agreement.

Boris Johnson’s Downing Street decorator addresses ‘missed opportunity’ | Politics News

The designer who refurbished Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat has spoken out about the “missed opportunity” to promote British craftwork after being caught up in ‘Partygate’ and the scandal around how the work was funded.

Lulu Lytle, founder of design and manufacturing firm Soane Britain, has also said in an interview that the reported £840-per-roll cost of gold leaf wallpaper is not accurate, insisting it was nowhere near that expensive – and nor was it made of gold leaf.

She has said the now infamous wallpaper for the flat above Number 11 Downing Street housing then-prime minister Boris Johnson and his then fiance Carrie Symonds cost £120 per roll – the industry standard – and it was yellow, not gold.

Ms Lytle – who became known as “Carrie’s interior designer” – said she had never met Mr Johnson or his fiance before she received a cold call from Ms Symonds one day asking her to oversee the refurbishment of the Downing Street residence, commissioned in early 2020 and funded by the official grant of £30,000 given to all prime ministers to revamp their living space.

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“Carrie had seen some fabrics of ours that had been commissioned for the state bedrooms at Chequers and liked them very much,” Ms Lytle told the Wall Street Journal of the prime minister’s official country residence in Buckinghamshire.

“She asked me to help with their Downing Street flat, not only because she liked the Soane aesthetic, but because our supply chains are so transparently English.”

Lulu Lytle, pictured in May 2019
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Decorator Lulu Lytle

When the bill for the requested work overshot the official grant, Ms Lytle said she was assured a trust would make up the gap, as had been the case for Chequers.

“I was totally reassured it was being set up, but it was taking time,” she said, but a year later it emerged in press reports that not only had the refurbishment cost over six times the official allowance but it had also been funded by Tory party donor Lord David Brownlow.

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The scandal erupted at the same time as it emerged parties had been taking place in Downing Street – and Ms Lytle herself was even investigated for allegedly attending Mr Johnson’s birthday party in Downing Street, for which the ex-PM was later fined.

However, after speaking to investigating officers, she was not fined, having been in Downing Street for work.

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Boris Johnson said that he was ‘very, very surprised; to receive a fine after the events of ‘Partygate’

As for Mr Johnson, although he was referred to the Electoral Commission over the saga of the redecoration and the Tory party was fined, his ethics advisor, Lord Christopher Geidt, concluded that he did not break the ministerial code, and he settled the bill for the work privately.

Nonetheless, she recounted the ordeal as having a very difficult impact on herself, her family, and her business.

She says that what upset her the most was the “missed opportunity” to highlight British craftwork.

“Downing Street could, and in my opinion should, be the most fantastic showcase for British makers – I hoped and believed it would provide a springboard for conversations about UK manufacturing, or honest and transparent supply chains,” she said.

“It was such a missed opportunity,” she added.

Ms Lytle is now launching a flagship outlet on New York’s Upper East Side, expanding properly into the US for the first time.

Akshata Murty gives update on Larry the Cat in rare interview about life at Downing Street | Politics News

Larry the cat, or Nova the dog? A hidden power struggle has been raging behind the scenes at Number 10 – and one has come out on top.

That is according to Rishi Sunak’s wife, who has given an insight into life at Downing Street in a rare interview.

Speaking to the Sky Kids FYI show, Akshata Murty said while she felt “honoured” to live in the famous residence, Nova, the family’s pet Labrador, is having “mixed emotions”.

Speaking from Number 10, Ms Murty said: “Nova has mixed emotions about (living here) because she sometimes doesn’t get on with Larry the Cat.

“And they’ve had some heated exchanges and Larry’s come out on top.

“So she might have some mixed opinions on living here.

“But, you know, our family is so grateful to be here.”

Larry (also known as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office), has resided in Number 10 for 12 years, remaining the one constant within an ever-changing government.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pets his dog Nova, next to his wife Akshata Murty, as they meet volunteers from the Royal British Legion outside Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, October 31, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls.
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Nova the dog is having ‘mixed emotions’ living in Downing Street with Larry the Cat

He has served as a trusted companion to five prime ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and now Mr Sunak, who came into office a year ago – bringing Nova along with him.

Ms Murty, the daughter of an Indian billionaire, said “not much has changed” since then.

FYI: Weekly News Show is from Sky Kids and the full interview can be seen on Sky News across the weekend

Asked what it’s like to be the wife of a prime minister, she said: “You know, I’ve had a busy life before. I’ve a busy life now.

“I think what’s been incredible is the range of opportunities that I’ve been exposed to… meeting really interesting people.”

Larry the cat sits on the red carpet at the entrance of 10 Downing Street, London, ahead of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Picture date: Monday July 10, 2023.
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Larry the cat is the famous feline resident of Number 10

Ms Murty has created an initiative – “Lessons at 10” – which invites children from across the UK to the prime minister’s residence to learn about the building’s history and the role of government.

She said: “Through the Lessons at 10 programme, meeting lots of young people every Friday, I really enjoy that and so for me, I look at it (being the prime minister’s wife) as a very special time in my life to help support my husband in the job he’s doing while opening up the doors to young people. “

Read more:
‘Pattern of behaviour’ emerging about Sunak’s wife – Starmer

Ms Murty, a computer scientist and engineer who was the first woman to work for India’s largest carmaker, has also worked for her father’s tech empire Infosys, which she has a stake in, and has founded multiple businesses.

She and Mr Sunak married in 2009 after they met at Stanford University and have two young daughters.

While she has largely remained out of sight of the cameras since her husband’s rise to power, her wealth has come under scrutiny.

She was embroiled in a row about her non-dom tax status when Mr Sunak was chancellor – something Labour has sought to weaponise.

Downing Street urges parents to ‘look out’ for Strep A symptoms after rise in cases | UK News

Downing Street has urged parents to be on the “lookout” for symptoms caused by Strep A infection after the death of at least six children.

As an invasive form of the Strep A bacterial infection has spread across the UK in recent months, officials have said that they can “fully understand” the concern parents are feeling about the rise in cases.

Reassuring that the NHS is “well prepared” for such situations, Number 10 added that it was not aware of any current shortage of the antibiotic amoxicillin, which is used to treat bacterial infections.

Addressing the recent rise in cases, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A strep this year compared to usual.

“The bacteria we know causes a mild infection which is easily treated with antibiotics and in rare circumstances it can get into the bloodstream and cause serious illness.

“It is still uncommon but it’s important parents are on the lookout for symptoms. But the NHS is well prepared to deal with situations like this, working with the UK Health Security Agency.”

The spokesperson went on to say that “well-established procedures” similar to ones implemented during the COVID pandemic to deal with, and prevent, any medication shortages are in place.

When asked how worried parents should be about the recent outbreak, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan added: “The first thing to say is it is extremely rare and there’s a very small number of cases.

“But of course, our heartfelt condolences go to the small number of parents who have lost a child through Strep A.

“The most important thing is to keep vigilant for the symptoms. So sore throat, fever, a rash. If you have any concerns, call 111. But we are monitoring the situation and working with the public authorities.

“If you have any concerns, pick up the phone and call 111.”

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What is Strep A?

Baroness Sal Brinton was due to ask the government today what assessment it has made of its guidance to doctors and to parents in light of the increase in Strep A, iGAS and scarlet fever cases, after the Lord Speaker granted her a Private Notice Question.

Read more:
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Illnesses caused by the Strep A bacteria include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat. Compared to the week of November 14 to 20 in previous years, cases of scarlet fever have jumped to 851, compared to an average of 186.

Symptoms of scarlet fever, according to the NHS, typically take two to five days to appear following infection and can include a pinkish or red “sandpapery” body rash, swollen neck glands, sore throat, headache, and fever.

Grieving mother of four-year-old Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, who died in an ambulance on the way to hospital in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, said that her young son’s first symptoms included a red rash across his lower back.

Muhammad Ibrahim Ali and his mother
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Muhammad Ibrahim Ali

Even after a full-course of antibiotics, his symptoms persisted and his mother began to give him Calpol. A week after his death, his post-mortem test results showed he had Strep A in his blood.

Infections of Strep A rarely develop into a more serious invasive infection known as iGAS, but they have increased this year, particularly in those under the age of 10.

Treatment with antibiotics can prevent serious illness and the spread of infection.

Microbiologist Dr Simon Clarke, from the University of Reading, said he wasn’t aware of any evidence of a new strain but suggested that a “drop in population-wide immunity,” as a result of children not mixing during the COVID pandemic “could increase transmission”.

He added that although cases didn’t appear to be linked, he believes “further cases over the coming weeks and months” are likely.