Amber Rudd has resigned as the home secretary after facing pressure and accusations over the Windrush scandal.
Following the publication of a letter by the Guardian, it appeared that the former home secretary was aware of targets for removing illegal migrants from the UK.
Despite Rudd claiming she was unaware of the deportation targets, her private letter to Theresa May showed Rudd’s “aim of increasing the number of enforced removals by more than 10 percent over the next few years”.
The letter stated that the agency had “set a target of achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017/18 … this will move us along the path towards the 10 percent increased performance on enforced returns which we promised the Home Secretary earlier this year”.
Rudd was due to release a statement in the House of Commons on Monday but phoned the prime minister on Sunday to resign.
In her resignation letter, published hours later Rudd said she had “become aware of the information provided to my office which makes mention of targets. I should have been aware of this, and I take full responsibility that I was not.”
Theresa May said she could “understand why, now you have had chance to review the advice that you have received on this issue, you have made the decision you have made, and taken responsibility for inadvertently misleading the home affairs select committee”.
In response to Rudd’s resignation, Dianne Abbot said that Rudd had “done the right thing”.
“What I said when I called for her to resign last week was that it is a matter of honour. Given all the to-ing and fro-ing and issues about whether she’d been entirely truthful with the home affairs select committee, I don’t think the Windrush generation could have had the confidence in her,” she added.
The former home secretary’s successor is expected to be announced on Monday morning. Potential candidates include communities minister Sajid Javid and David Lidington.