The Home Office

Recently I turned my attention to 'Common Purpose' the organisation which I think has gone a long way to bring our Civil Service down to a level where is is totally useless. Today another example appeared in the 'Daily Mail' and once again it was the Home Office who bore the brunt of a judge's contempt.

A sex offender and failed asylum seeker has been detained illegally awaiting deportation because the Home Office had failed to carry out regular reviews of his case as demanded by law. He now, according to the law, is set to receive thousands in compensation. He went ten months without a review of his case and his lawyers were assured by the Home Office that everything was in order. In practice his case should have been reviewed once a week during the first month and every month after that.

The only comment made by the Home Office was that ' they regretted the procedures were not followed at all times'. So they are incompetent, they lied to cover up their incompetence and yet nobody is brought before the court to explain how it happened and who was at fault. I bet Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, last heard of dining on a kebab one early evening in Peckham, is not called upon to explain this oversight in Parliament. Why not? She is ultimately responsible even though a less likely Home Secretary I have never seen. She reminds me of some overpromoted incompetent housewife and yet she runs probably the most important government department of them all.

Since 'Common Purpose' began to make an impact this country has had seven Home Secretaries in about fifteen years. They read, Ken Clarke, Michael Howard, Jack Straw, David Blunkett, Charles Clark, John Reid and now Jacqui Smith. That's one every two years and in all that time this country has come under more social pressure than at any time in its history. John Reid called the Home Office 'unfit for purpose' and yet nobody does anything about it. They get their name on the Honours Board, reap the trappings of authority for a couple of years and then piss off to another job! They all remain MP's still drawing their money and dipping into the expenses trough.

Meantime all hell is breaking use and the same culprits, shake their hands, draw their fat salaries and procede to let us all down again. It is high time that these Civil Servants were named, shamed and sacked. This 'jolly' which allows government officials to foul up time and time again must cease. Perhaps the compensation received by the prisoner should be paid from Jacqui Smith's personal salary. I bet she would soon root out the incompetent officials then.

Oh well let's just wait for the next incident to happen which wastes public money. After all it is only our money which this guy will take back to Zimbabwe (if he ever gets deported that is) so what do we care? Don't worry I'll be watching.