Lib Dems and Michael Howard Agree: Clarke should Quit
Both the Lib Dems and Folkestone MP Michael Howard have called on Charles Clarke to resign after he admitted losing track of 1,023 foreign prisoners who should have been considered for deportation. The missing prisoners include three murderers and nine rapists.
The Government was told of the problem in July and 288 prisoners have been released since then.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell asked in Parliament how Mr Clarke could stay in his position. He said:
"The government had these matters first drawn to it's attention in 2002, 288 people have been released since last August. How can the Home Secretary remain in office? How can the Prime Minister not ask for his resignation?"
The prime minister has twice refused to accept the home secretary's offers to quit over foreign prisoner blunders.
Tory ex-home secretary Michael Howard also urged Mr Clarke to quit after his admission that "it was shocking failure on his part" that had led to the oversight.
"If our traditional principles of ministerial responsibility mean anything at all, he should no longer be in his job," he told the BBC.