Civil servant blamed for Amber Rudd’s resignation is demoted

Liz Bates

A senior civil servant blamed for Amber Rudd’s disastrous select committee appearance that eventually lead to her resignation has been demoted.



Immigration and enforcement chief Hugh Ind came under fire after it was revealed that the former Home Secretary had been misinformed over the Home Office immigration targets, leading to a gaffe that cost her her job.

In the midst of the damaging Windrush scandal, she told MPs on the Home Affairs Committee that there were no targets for the removal illegal immigrants, despite evidence showing there was.

But leaked emails later revealed that Mr Ind had told Ms Rudd’s advisers at the time that there were “no removal targets for immigration enforcement officers, regional or national”.

In the wake of the debacle, Mr Ind has now been moved a new Whitehall role in charge of public sector apprenticeships.

One source told The Sun: “He’s being put in the padded cell where people hope they get bored and go away.”

A Home Office spokeswoman declined to comment on Mr Ind’s removal from the department but did say he would not be getting a payoff.

The department also announced that Second Permanent Secretary for the Home Office Patsy Wilkinson would also be leaving.