Borders chief resigns and takes May to tribunal

Brodie Clark denied “improperly” extending a relaxation of immigration controls and accused Mrs May of making his position “untenable”.

In a statement he said: “I am anxious to take part in any independent inquiry into matters relating to UK Border Agency, but my position at UKBA had been made untenable because of the statements made in the House of Commons by the Home Secretary Theresa May.

“Those statements are wrong and were made without the benefit of hearing my response to formal allegations. With the Home Secretary announcing and repeating her view that I am at fault, I cannot see how any process conducted by the Home Office or under its auspices can be fair and balanced.”

The move will heap pressure on Mrs May, who has already been forced to insist she will not resign over the issue. She is expected to face more questions from MPs today after Labour called an Opposition Day debate.

Earlier, Mrs May told MPs she had rejected Mr Clark’s proposed changes in favour of a more limited pilot scheme, designed in part to reduce queues at airports. But Mr Clark went further, scrapping key checks against a Home Office database without ministerial approval, she said.

“Those wider changes were ones which I rejected,” she said.

Mrs May told the home affairs select committee that in setting out the terms for the pilot, “there were certain things that were suggested that I was not prepared to accept”.

She said: “I take full responsibility for my decisions and actions related to the pilot, but Brodie Clark must take responsibility for his actions.”

Mr Clark wanted his officers to be able to use their discretion so they could feel valued and get something out their jobs, rather than simply rubber-stamping forms like robots, aides to Mrs May said. But he acted without ministerial approval.

Three senior staff, including Mr Clark, have been suspended and those responsible will be punished “to make sure that border force officials can never take such risks with border security again”, Mrs May said.

But in his statement – issued through the FDA union for senior civil servants – Mr Clark said: “The Home Secretary suggests that I added additional measures, improperly, to the trial of our risk-based controls. I did not. Those measures have been in place since 2008-9 … I can never be accused of compromising security for convenience.”

He added: “I am saddened that my career should end in such a way after 40 years of dedicated service. My employer has disregarded my right to reply in favour of political convenience.”