May caught in immigration row

Theresa May has up to now proved remarkably adept at avoiding the political bear-traps that have ensnared so many Home Secretaries in recent years. But she now finds herself caught in a classic Home Office row over who allowed the UK Border Agency to ease passport checks to cut queues during the summer months.

James Kirkup has the scoop that ministers approved this decision. Given May’s reputation for keeping her ministerial team on the tightest of leashes, this creates a problem for the Home Secretary.

Labour will go at this issue hard. They know it provides them with a populist way to claim that the cuts are endangering the country’s security. But May’s position is bolstered by the fact that the Prime Minister is her biggest fan. Indeed, when May has clashed with Downing Street — as she has over whether Bill Bratton should be able to apply for the Met job and the future of the government equalities office which Steve Hilton wanted to shut down — Cameron has deferred to her.