Western Gazette
Last week, I had the pleasure of asking Ms Harriet Harman a question in Parliament during the session when MPs can ask her about the Government’s business.
The question I asked her was about a resident of West Dorset who has been applying for permission to remain in this country. The resident in question is married to a British citizen. He was admitted to the UK, and he has since been attempting to get permission to remain permanently.
The reason I asked my question is that, when I wrote to the Home Secretary about this case, I got a reply from a very nice minister called Mr Phil Woolas, who told me that the Home Office does all these things properly … and it takes cases one by one … and there is no reason why your constituent should be put ahead of the queue … and they will let you know when they have got to the case of your constituent …
I paraphrase, but that was definitely the gist of the thing.
So I asked my question.
When I began asking it, I could see that Ms Harman was really rather annoyed to be asked yet another troublesome question about yet another person whose application was being processed rather slowly by the Home Office.
I thought that her attitude might change when I revealed the most important fact about this case.
This fact is that my constituent’s application was made SIX YEARS AGO. Just to add insult to injury, the Home Office has been sitting on his passport ever since.
I must congratulate Ms Harman, however, on her sang froid. She did not display the slightest sign of being in any way surprised that the Home Office had taken SIX YEARS to do absolutely nothing about my constituent’s application.
Cool as the proverbial cucumber, she informed me that I must go and see the minister and get the thing sorted out.
So I have written again to the nice Mr Woolas. And I have told him that Ms Harman has publicly suggested that I should come and see him.
I am now waiting to receive the next letter from the Home Office telling me that all is well in the best of all possible worlds and my constituent’s application will be dealt with in the proper order …