Theresa May appears to have just lied outright to the House of Commons and to the whole country.
Challenged by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn about the decision to destroy landing cards – proof of the legal immigration of thousands of ‘Windrush generation’ immigrants from the Caribbean and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, May told MPs during today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, that the decision to do so was taken under a Labour government in 2009.
That was a lie – and exposed as a lie within moments – but almost an hour later the BBC was still repeating it to the nation without comment, qualification or contradiction at the top of its 1pm news bulletin:
Sky’s Beth Rigby did some genuine journalism and checked with sources in Parliament. May spoke the lie at eight minutes past noon – and just one minute later Rigby had exposed it:
52 minutes after that, the BBC was still broadcasting it – and not just broadcasting it but spinning it as if she’d landed a knockout blow on the Labour leader.
How long with the Corporation help the lie to go around the world before pointing out that May’s claim was false?
How long will it keep shoring up an incompetent and fundamentally dishonest Tory government and misrepresenting Labour to the people?
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
Is there a link to evidence on this? – that would be useful.
Good the lie was exposed but what was the Government source and who did destroy the cards and when?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/17/home-office-destroyed-windrush-landing-cards-says-ex-staffer?CMP=share_btn_link
If Sky reporter refutes Mays comment, do we assume this will be reported in their News bulletins ?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/18/whistleblowers-contradict-no-10-over-destroyed-windrush-landing-cards
It was the Tories who introduced legislation that removed the protections against deportation that Labour legislation had granted Windrush immigrants.
“No, the decision to destroy the landing cards was taken in 2009 under a Labour government.”
That doesn’t mean the records wouldn’t have been retained on microfiche or digital, or that any “decision” was actually signed-off by Jacqui Smith or Alan Carr – both Home Secretaries in 2009 I believe.
If they had signed off on it why wait until 2010?
I’ve read that HO staff questioned the decision.
If they weren’t physically destroyed until her reign then May’s office would certainly have been consulted on the issue and it’s her responsibility.
Transferring the records to microfiche or digital would have been perfectly reasonable – May in her drive to cut immigration will probably have decided to destroy other evidence too – let’s hope that comes to light soon.
Hah! Alan Carr… where the fook did that come from? You lot know I meant Jimmy Carr, right?
Apologies to Alan Johnson. Seeing him cuddling up to Portillo must have confused me 🙂
Why do we have to keep putting up with this LYING TORY GOVERNMENT, HEADED BY THE PERPETRATOR “MAY”?
She’s “LIED” on many occasion and yet, SHE’S ALLOWED TO KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT!
“Allegedly”!
Still promoting this on BBC Afternoon Live at 3pm.
Did the digitizing of these landing cards before destruction fall victim ‘austerity’.
Yes as links to Guardian above show, they were destroyed in October 2010 under May’s watch – caught bang to rights!
We have as our Prime Minister, an arrogant, racist, War Criminal who is being protected by the BBC. How much more serious can the threat to our democracy be?
Surely the point is that regardless of who destroyed the landing cards it is only in the case of this racist Tory Gorvernment that these 60 or 50 year old documents have become of any significance once more.
What reasonable person would ever have thought that after half a century and more the Tories would actually try to deport people who are so obviously citizens of our country and that these ancient landing cards would become important to keep?
Having said that its no surprise to discover that the Tories destroyed that evidence anyway