'I will do whatever it takes to put this right': Sajid Javid vows to make Windrush an 'urgent' priority after becoming the first ethnic minority Home Secretary in wake of Amber Rudd's resignation

Sajid Javid has been appointed to replace Amber Rudd as the Home Secretary 

Rudd phoned Theresa May to tell her of the decision amid calls for her to resign

She was accused of misleading Parliament over targets for removing migrants 

Rudd was thought to be preparing to tough it out, claiming ignorance of targets

Sajid Javid vowed to do 'whatever it takes' to put the Windrush scandal right today after being installed as the new Home Secretary.

Mr Javid delivered the pledge as he made his first Commons appearance just hours after being promoted by Theresa May to replace Amber Rudd - who finally bowed to massive pressure by quitting for misleading parliament over deportation targets.

‘I want to start by making a pledge – I pledge to those from the Windrush generation who have been in this country for decades and have struggled to navigate through the immigration system,' he told MPs.

‘This should never have been the case and I will do whatever it takes to put it right.' 

Mr Javid becomes the first ethnic minority minister to hold the Great Office of State. James Brokenshire - who quit the Cabinet for health reasons earlier this year - is returning to take Mr Javid's old job.

The new Home Secretary cited his own background to demonstrate his motivation to tackle the Windrush crisis.

‘Learning about the difficulties Windrush migrants have faced has impacted me greatly, particularly because I myself am a second generation migrant (whose family) came to this country from the Commonwealth in the 1960s, came to help rebuild this country,' he said.

Mr Javid said he thought those who have been caught up in the illegal immigration crackdown ‘could be my mother, father or me’.

He added: ‘That’s why I am so personally committed to tackling the difficulties people of the Windrush generation face.

‘I know that my predecessor felt strongly about this… I will build on the decisive action she has already taken.’

He added: ‘I want to end by making one thing clear – we will do right by the Windrush generation.’ 

Mr Javid was seen as having made a pitch for the Home Office job over the weekend when he used a newspaper interview to voice his horror at the 

Mr Javid pledged to tackle the WIndrush scandal as he made his first Commons appearance just hours after being promoted to replace Amber Rudd

Mr Javid was cheered by Tory MPs as he stepped up to the despatch box in the House of Commons this afternoon

Home Secretary Amber Rudd shocked Westminster last night by resigning over the raging Windrush scandal

The dramatic departure was a huge blow for the Prime Minister (pictured on a visit to Manchester today) and potentially leaves her personally vulnerable

After his appointment this morning, Mr Javid said he wanted those affected by the controversy to be treated with 'decency and fairness'.

'The most urgent task I have is to help those British citizens who came from the Caribbean, the so-called Windrush generation, and make sure they are all treated with the decency and the fairness they deserve,' he said. 

As a Remainer in the referendum, Mr Javid's promotion maintains the delicate balance between Eurosceptics and Europhiles in Mrs May's Brexit war Cabinet.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt will assume Ms Rudd's duties as equalities minister. 

But there could be friction between Mr Javid's approach and that of Mrs May - as he is known to be sceptical about the target for bringing net annual immigration below 100,000. 

He also insisted today that he would not describe government policy on illegal immigrants as a 'hostile environment' - despite Mrs May championing the stance.

'I don't like the phrase "hostile". It is "compliant",' he said. 

With no sign of the scandal blowing over and potentially more damning evidence to come out, Ms Rudd last night decided to take 'responsibility' and fall on her sword rather than face more humiliation.

'I feel it is necessary to do so because I inadvertently misled the Home Affairs Select Committee,' she said - admitting she 'should have been aware' the targets existed.  

The dramatic departure was a huge blow for the Prime Minister - and potentially leaves her personally vulnerable. 

Sajid Javid, pictured at the Home Office today, becomes the first ethnic minority minister to hold the Great Office of State

Mrs May chatted with pupils at Brooklands Primary School in Sale, Manchester, on a visit today ahead of local elections 

Amber Rudd's resignation letter to the Prime Minister, saying she had 'inadvertently misled' MPs over targets for removal of illegal immigrants

Mrs May was offered flowers by local children during her visit to Manchester today

Ms Rudd has acted as an lightning rod for her predecessor in the Home Office amid the outcry over Windrush.

It appears that Ms Rudd took the decision to quit herself, despite Downing Street previously trying to prop her up. She telephoned the PM to inform her of the move late on Sunday.

In her response to Ms Rudd, Mrs May said she was 'very sorry' to receive the resignation. The premier said she still believed Ms Rudd had answered questions from MPs in 'good faith'.

Why Amber Rudd finally opted to fall on her sword  

Amber Rudd quit after realising the row over misleading MPs about illegal immigration targets was not going to abate.

The Home Secretary was already under pressure when she came to the Home Affairs committee to be grilled on Windrush.

But it was a question on goals for evicting illegal immigrants that sparked her crisis. And it was her bungled reply, rather than any policy failures, that sealed her fate.

Asked whether the Home Office had numerical targets, Ms Rudd seemed confused - and said no, it did not.

Although she also referred to an 'ambition' for increasing deportation of illegal immigrants by 10 per cent, it soon became clear the denial was implausible.

Dragged to the Commons the next day, Ms Rudd admitted there were in fact numerical targets at local level.

Her claim to have been unaware of the targets suffered another blow when a memo referring to them emerged, which was copied to her office.  

Ms Rudd appeared on the brink of resignation on Friday night, before vowing to fight on. 

But with another gruelling turn scheduled at the hands of MPs today, and fears further documents might surface, Ms Rudd opted to fall on her sword.

Tories expressed sadness at the departure - while opposition parties wasted no time in turning their fire on Mrs May.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said Ms Rudd was 'carrying the can' Mrs May, while shadow home secretary Diane Abbott insisted she must answer questions in the Commons about her own knowledge of migrant removal targets.

'The change in home secretary will mean nothing unless Theresa May's 'hostile environment' policy is finally brought to an end,' Ms Abbott said.

'Sajid Javid's first priority must be ending this 'hostile environment' policy. As the Windrush scandal has proven, and as some of us warned the government four years ago, this policy has ripped lives apart, including the lives of British nationals and others who have the right to be here.

'The new home secretary cannot form another human shield for Theresa May.' 

Speaking this morning, Mr Javid said he would be calling his mother to let her know the news and she would be 'proud'.

'My parents came to our great country in the 60s,' he said. 'They came from Pakistan to help build this country. 

'I think for them to see one of their sons rise to this great office of state, I'm sure they will be very proud. 

'But I haven't called my mum yet but I will do later.' 

The timing of the resignation took Westminster by surprise. There was intense speculation that Ms Rudd might go on Friday night after the emergence of a leaked Home Office memo that had been copied to the minister. 

It spelled out that there were both national and regional targets for deportations of illegal immigrants - seemingly contradicting the evidence Ms Rudd gave to the Home Affairs select committee a day earlier.

She had referred to a wider 'ambition' of increasing deportations of illegal immigrants by 10 per cent, but denied there were specific numerical goals. 

In her resignation letter, Ms Rudd admitted she 'should have been aware' the targets existed. Mrs May said she was 'sorry' to accept the resignation

Mrs May said Ms Rudd should 'take great pride' in the way she had led the Home Office

Tories expressed sorrow at the departure - while opposition parties wasted no time in turning their fire on Mrs May. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said Mrs May was 'responsible'

However, after hours of ominous silence from the Home Office, Ms Rudd broke cover to insist she would stay on.

She vowed she genuinely did not know about the targets when she gave evidence to MPs - and said she would make her case to the Commons in a statement tomorrow.

Rudd becomes the fifth Cabinet minister to quit

Five cabinet members have left their positions in the 10 months since June's snap general election where the Conservatives lost their majority in the House of Commons.

The first to leave was Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who resigned his post after being caught up in Westminster sleaze allegations.

He admitted his standards had 'fallen below the high standards required' after he admitted putting his hand on the knee of radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer some years ago when he resigned on November 1.

A week later, Priti Patel quit as international development secretary over secret meetings in Israel, including with Benjamin Netanyahu.

In her letter, she echoed the words of Mr Fallon, saying her actions 'fell below the high standards' expected.

Theresa May suffered a third cabinet loss in seven weeks when Damian Green left as First Secretary of State in December.

While serving as Mrs May's de facto deputy, Mr Green made 'misleading' statements about allegations that police found pornography on computers in his parliamentary office in 2008 which breached the ministerial code.

Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire left the cabinet in January after standing down on health grounds, and Mrs Rudd became the fifth cabinet member to leave amid claims she misled Parliament over targets for removing illegal migrants.

However, having seen mounting evidence in the paperwork about the extent of the knowledge within the Home Office about the targets she decided that she should take responsibility and go.

According to the Prime Minister's official spokesman, she was at home in her Maidenhead constituency when Ms Rudd rang to tell her of her decision.

Ms Rudd had not explictly offered to resign previously, the spokesman said. 

The spokesman stressed that, while Mrs May was aware of targets for illegal immigrant removals during her time as home secretary, she ceased receiving this operational information when she left the Home Office. 

A 2017 letter to the PM in which Ms Rudd spoke of her plans to increase removals 'by more than 10% over the next few years' did not relate to a target but to an 'aim over a non-specific period', he said.    

The crisis span out of control after another private letter which included 'ambitious and deliverable' migrant deportation targets emerged, after Rudd claimed she knew nothing about them.

Ms Rudd appeared to have signed the correspondence, which said her department aimed to 'increase the number of enforced removals by more than ten per cent', in January last year.

The Home Secretary had already claimed that she had never seen a previous memo referencing immigration targets - and the letter appears to have been the final straw.

In her letter of resignation, Ms Rudd said she was resigning because she had 'inadvertently' misled the Commons Home Affairs Committee.

'Since appearing before the select committee, I have reviewed the advice I was given on this issue and become aware of information provided to my office which makes mention of targets. I should have been aware of this and I take full responsibility for the fact that I was not,' she wrote.

She went on: 'The Windrush scandal has rightly shone a light on an important issue for our country. 

Civil servant who wrote the deportation targets memo later told Rudd there weren't any

The civil servant who wrote the 'smoking gun' email detailing deportation targets later told Amber Rudd there were none, it has been reported.

Ms Rudd resigned after 'unintentionally misleading' MPs by telling them the Home Office did not use targets.

It later emerged Hugh Ind, director general of Immigration Enforcement, had emailed her office detailing the immigration targets.

But Mr Ind texted Ms Rudd's team during and after her ill-fated appearance in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee to say deportation targets are not used. 

During the same session, Mr Ind also sent an email saying that he didn't recognise the 'description' of targets, the source said.

And he wrote another email  saying 'there are no removal targets for immigration enforcement officers, regional or national', the report said.

The claims will fuel criticisms by Ms Rudd's backers that she has been the victim of confusing information from civil servants.

Mail Online has contacted  the Home Office for comment.   

'As so often, the instincts of the British people are right. They want people who have a right to live here to be treated fairly and humanely, which has sometimes not been the case.

'But they also want the Government to remove those who don't have the right to be here. 

'I had hoped in coming months to devise a policy that would allow the Government to meet both these vital objectives - including bringing forward urgent legislation to ensure the right of the Windrush generation are protected.' 

In her reply, Mrs May said she was 'very sorry' Ms Rudd had decided to stand down but that she understood her reasons for doing so. 

'When you addressed the House of Commons and the Home Affairs Select Committee last week on the issue of illegal immigration, you answered the questions put to you in good faith,' she wrote. 

The blunder by Ms Rudd - amid the raging Windrush row - led to Labour calls for her resignation and growing disquiet among her colleagues. 

The former Home Office Secretary was already said to be feeling isolated by No10 and let down by her officials.

One ally said: 'Amber has been caught in a s*** sandwich. There has been no support from Downing Street, either politically or in terms of communications.

The six-page page memo from January last year, prepared by Hugh Ind, the director general of Immigration Enforcement in the Home Office, spelled out policy ideas outlined by Rudd in her private letter.

Included in the document, leaked to the Guardian, were targets such as 'achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017/18'.

It has emerged that Ms Rudd referred to an 'ambition' of increasing deportations of illegal immigrants by 10 per cent in a letter to Theresa May in January last year (pictured)

The note was also addressed to Marc Owen, senior director of national and international operations in Immigration Enforcement,  Mark Thomson, the director general of the Passport Office and Tony Eastaugh, UK director of operations at Immigration Enforcement. 

Ms Rudd's departure risked upsetting the delicate balance within the Cabinet between Leavers and Remainers ahead of a crucial meeting of the Brexit 'war cabinet' on Wednesday to discuss Britain's future customs relationship with the EU.

What is the Windrush scandal and how did the fiasco develop?

June 22, 1948 - The Empire Windrush passenger ship docked at Tilbury from Jamaica. 

The 492 passengers were temporarily housed near Brixton in London. Over the following decades some 500,000 came to the UK.

Many arrived on their parents' passports and were not formally naturalised as British citizens. 

1973 - A new immigration Act comes into force putting the onus on individuals to prove they have previously been resident in the UK.

2010 - The Home Office destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants’ arrival dates in the UK.

The move came despite staff warnings that the move would make it harder to check the records of older Caribbean-born residents experiencing residency difficulties, it was claimed  

2014 - A protection that exempted Commonwealth residents from enforced removal was removed under a new law. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time.

Under a crackdown on illegals, Windrush immigrants are obliged to provide proof they were resident in the UK before 1973.

July 2016 - Mrs May becomes Prime Minister. 

April 2018 - Allegations that Windrush immigrants are being threatened with deportation break. Theresa May issued a grovelling apology to Caribbean leaders after major backlash 

But Mr Javid's background as a Remainer during the referendum should reassure Europhile MPs.

He was not previously a member of the crucial sub-committee.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said: 'Amber has done the right thing. 

'The Windrush generation could not have had faith in her. She made promises she brushed under the carpet. It is a Home Office scandal.'

Ms Abbott told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: 'Politics is very hard and the only sympathy goes to the generation of people who have been let down by this Government. We need justice.' 

Labour MP David Lammy, a leading campaigner on Windrush, tweeted: 'Amber Rudd resigned because she didn't know what was going on in her own department and she had clearly lost the confidence of her own civil servants. 

'The real issue is the hostile environment policy that caused this crisis in the first place. 

'The resignation of the Home Secretary must not detract from the fact that this crisis was a direct result of the hostile environment policy. 

'That policy must now be reviewed, and the Home Office must move quickly to compensate and grant citizenship to the Windrush generation.' 

In a sign that Ms Rudd could join Remainer rebels on the Tory backbenches, former minister Anna Soubry said: 'V sorry that @AmberRuddHR has resigned. She is a woman of great courage & immense ability. 

'Amber will be missed in many ways. We'll give her a huge welcome on to our back benches. If there is any justice she will soon return to the highest of office. Proud to call her my friend.' 

Lucy Frazer, Tory MP for South East Cambridgeshire, added: 'I'm very disappointed she felt she had to resign. Amber was an excellent Minister. 

'We were expecting her statement in the Commons tomorrow. She's put a number of measures in place for the Windrush generation.' 

WHO'S IN BREXIT WAR CABINET AND WHERE DO THEY STAND?

Prime Minister Theresa May

Backed Remain, has since insisted she will push through Brexit, leaving the single market and customs union. 

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington 

A strong Remainer during the referendum campaign, recently made clear he has not changed his mind about it being better if the country had chosen to stay in the bloc.

Chancellor Philip Hammond

Seen as one of the main advocates of 'soft' Brexit in the Cabinet. Has been accused of trying to keep the UK tied to key parts of the customs union for years after the transition ends. 

Home Secretary Sajid Javid 

Brought in to replace Amber Rudd after she resigned amid the Windrush scandal, Mr Javid was seen as a reluctant Remainer in the referendum.

Many thought the former high-flying banker would plump for the Leave campaign, but he eventually claimed to have been won over by the economic case. He is likely to focus be guided by evidence about trade calculations in discussions over how closely aligned the UK should be with the EU.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson 

The Brexit champion in the Cabinet, has been agitating for a more robust approach and previously played down the problems of leaving with no deal. 

He is said to be unhappy with plans for a tight customs arrangement with Brussels - warning that it could effectively mean being lashed to the EU indefinitely.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove

Has buried the hatchet with Mr Johnson after brutally ending his Tory leadership campaign in the wake of David Cameron's resignation.

Thought to be less concerned with short term concessions that Mr Johnson, but focused on ensuring the UK is free from Brussels rules in the longer term.

Brexit Secretary David Davis 

A long-time Eurosceptic and veteran of the 1990s Maastricht battles, brought back by Mrs May in 2016 to oversee the day-to-day negotiations.

He has said the government will be seeking a 'Canada plus plus plus' deal from the EU. 

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox

Another Brexiteer, his red lines are about the UK's ability to strike trade deals with the rest of the world, and escaping Brussels red tape. 

Business Secretary Greg Clark  

On the softer Brexit side of the Cabinet, Mr Clark is thought to have supported Mr Hammond's efforts to maintain close links with the customs union. 

Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson 

A close ally of the Prime Minister and viewed by some as her anointed successor. He is believed to be siding with the Brexiteers on the need for Britain to be able to diverge from EU rules.

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley 

Supported Remain but a relatively unknown quantity on the shape of a deal. Replaced James Brokenshire, another May loyalist, after he resigned on health grounds last month. 

 

New Home Secretary son of a bus driver who wants to call 'proud' mum about his job

Sajid Javid's (pictured leaving No 10 today) meteoric rise through British politics propelled him to the Home Office today as the first member of an ethnic minority to hold a Great Office of State

Sajid Javid's meteoric rise from the son of an immigrant bus driver to the top of politics continued today as he became the first member of an ethnic minority to hold a Great Office of State. 

The new Home Secretary, 48, admitted he had not yet phoned his mum to tell her about his new job.

But arriving at Marsham Street for the first time he told waiting reporters his family would be 'very proud' of his achievements.  

Mr Javid, whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, had appeared to audition for his new post yesterday. 

And after getting the post, the multi-millionaire former banker, a married father of four, said: 'My parents came to our great country in the 60s,' he said.

'They came from Pakistan to help build this country.

'I think for them to see one of their sons rise to this great office of state, I'm sure they will be very proud.

'But I haven't called my mum yet but I will do later.'  

The new Home Secretary first entered politics in 2010 as the MP for Bromsgrove, leaving a lucrative career in banking. He lives with his wife Laura and their four children in Fulham.

Despite his rapid rise through the political ranks, Mr Javid has fiercely guarded time with his three daughters and one son.

The new Home Secretary first entered politics in 2010 as the MP for Bromsgrove. He lives with his wife Laura (pictured together last year) and their four children in Fulham

Aides told BuzzFeed in 2015 how he often arrived on Monday morning bursting with stories from the weekend - memorably recalling a heroic rescue of the family hamster by placing foil strips around the house and staying up all night listening for rustling.  

In what many saw as an ambition for the new post, he admitted at the weekend his family background made him 'really concerned' about the Windrush scandal.  

He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a ­second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation.

'They came to this country after the Second World War to help rebuild it, they came from Commonwealth countries, they were asked to come in to [do] work that some people would describe as unattractive – my dad worked in a cotton mill, he worked as a bus driver.

'When I heard about the Windrush ­issue I thought, That could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' 

Amber Rudd: Ex-banker who went from 'aristocracy coordinator' to contender for prime minister 

Amber Rudd enjoyed a rapid rise through the ministerial ranks

Amber Rudd is a former investment banker, venture capitalist and financial journalist, who decided to enter politics in her 40s in order to get 'a grip on her life'.

David Cameron put Ms Rudd, 54, on his controversial A-list of candidates and she took Hastings and Rye back from Labour in 2010.

She enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks, serving as parliamentary private secretary to then chancellor George Osborne two years later.

She was promoted to junior minister at the Energy and Climate Change department in 2014, entering Cabinet as secretary of state for the same brief in 2015.

Ms Rudd's time at the Climate Change department was stormy. When she piloted fracking legislation through the Commons as its junior minister, she was accused by the opposition of reneging on pledges not to let the controversial gas extraction process occur in national parks.

She announced that drilling would be allowed underneath such protected areas, if it began outside their surface boundaries.

After becoming secretary of state at the department, her attitude to renewable energy was strongly criticised by environmentalists.

Ms Rudd was a committed Remain campaigner, who raised eyebrows with the highly personalised attacks she launched on her now Cabinet colleague Boris Johnson.

During a live TV clash she declared: 'Boris is the life and soul of the party, but he is not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening.'

She then came to Theresa May's aid in the short-lived, but bruising, run-off campaign with Andrea Leadsom as she slapped down her own junior minister at the Energy Department by questioning Ms Leadsom's experience.

The ex-Cheltenham Ladies' College pupil, and Edinburgh University history graduate, has a son and a daughter from the five years she was married to the late columnist AA Gill, who used to refer to her as 'the silver spoon' in his restaurant reviews.

Four Weddings And A Funeral director Richard Curtis said he gave Ms Rudd, who is believed to briefly appear in a church scene in the film, the job of casting extras for the movie, because: 'She knew a lot of dukes and earls.'

Ms Rudd was appointed Home Secretary on July 13 2016.

During her time in the role, which included having overall responsibility for security and terrorism, she dealt with the UK falling victim to a number of terror attacks such as the Westminster Bridge and Manchester Arena attacks, and the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury.

In January this year she became Minister for Women and Equalities.

AMBER RUDD: THE FALL OF A HOME SECRETARY

 Amber Rudd has resigned as Home Secretary in the wake of the Windrush scandal.

Here is a look at some of the events that led to her downfall:

- April 16: The Home Secretary offers an apology in the House of Commons to members of the Windrush generation after it emerges some immigrants who arrived between the late 1940s and early 1970s are facing deportation and being denied access to healthcare due to UK paperwork issues.

- April 17: Officials are forced to defend a decision to destroy thousands of landing card slips recording the arrival of Windrush generation immigrants into the UK as Labour blame the 'fiasco' on the Home Office.

- April 18: The Opposition call on Amber Rudd to consider her position as the crisis deepens.

- April 20: A leaked memo suggests Ms Rudd privately pledged to give the Home Office 'teeth' in efforts to remove illegal migrants from the UK, while Theresa May announces compensation payments to those affected by the scandal.

- April 22: The shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry joins calls for Ms Rudd to quit.

- April 23: Ms Rudd attempts to draw a line under the crisis with an emergency package of measures, including a fast-track offer of UK citizenship for people who arrived from the Commonwealth in the decades following the Second World War and a promise of a compensation scheme.

- April 24: Pressure continues to mount as fresh cases emerge. Labour MP David Lammy, a prominent figure in exposing the fiasco, reports that his office has received six further cases before midday.

- April 25: Ms Rudd tells of her 'bitter regret' at failing to grasp the scale of the Windrush scandal sooner as she is grilled by MPs before the Commons Home Affairs Committee.

- April 26: The Home Secretary is facing repeated calls to resign, but claims she never agreed to use removal targets for migrants.

To add to her woes, the prominent Remain supporter sparks Brexit controversy by suggesting that the question of UK membership of the Customs Union remains open when pressed on the issue at a Westminster lunch.

- April 27: Ms Rudd clings on claiming she had not seen a leaked internal memo referring to Home Office targets for removing illegal immigrants.

She apologises and admits she should have known about official targets for removing illegal immigrants.

- April 28: Senior ministers rally around the beleaguered Home Secretary.

- April 29: Rudd resigns the night before she was due to explain herself in the Commons after another leaked letter casts fresh doubt on her knowledge of the deportation targets.