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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Woolas pulled from Question Time | Woolas pulled from Question Time |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The government has pulled outspoken immigration minister Phil Woolas from BBC One's Question Time. | |
| Mr Woolas, who has made a series of controversial remarks, had been due to appear on the flagship political discussion programme later on Thursday. | Mr Woolas, who has made a series of controversial remarks, had been due to appear on the flagship political discussion programme later on Thursday. |
| The Home Office offered work minister Tony McNulty instead. But Question Time editors, who decide panel members, have invited Lord Hattersley to appear. | |
| The Home Office denied the move was due to recent comments by Mr Woolas. | The Home Office denied the move was due to recent comments by Mr Woolas. |
| A spokesman for the department said: "The government decided that the economy and jobs were very live issues and wanted to have a minister on at cabinet level who could deal with these issues." | A spokesman for the department said: "The government decided that the economy and jobs were very live issues and wanted to have a minister on at cabinet level who could deal with these issues." |
| 'Contradiction' | 'Contradiction' |
| Issues discussed during the programme are decided by the audience - it is likely that Mr Woolas would have faced questions about his recent immigration comments, and his prediction of the eventual disestablishment of the Church of England. | Issues discussed during the programme are decided by the audience - it is likely that Mr Woolas would have faced questions about his recent immigration comments, and his prediction of the eventual disestablishment of the Church of England. |
| Earlier, at Business Questions in the Commons, Conservative MP Alistair Burt asked why the home secretary had "barred her immigration minister from appearing on Question Time". | Earlier, at Business Questions in the Commons, Conservative MP Alistair Burt asked why the home secretary had "barred her immigration minister from appearing on Question Time". |
| Phil Woolas interview on Politics Show | Phil Woolas interview on Politics Show |
| He said there should be a Commons debate to "give him the opportunity to clarify the contradiction between his statement in the Times last week that it's been too easy to get into this country, with the home secretary's statement in the house the following day that UK borders are among the most secure in the world." | He said there should be a Commons debate to "give him the opportunity to clarify the contradiction between his statement in the Times last week that it's been too easy to get into this country, with the home secretary's statement in the house the following day that UK borders are among the most secure in the world." |
| Deputy Commons leader Chris Bryant replied that Mr Woolas had answered questions during a debate earlier in the week. | Deputy Commons leader Chris Bryant replied that Mr Woolas had answered questions during a debate earlier in the week. |
| Mr Woolas hit the headlines when he appeared to call for a 70 million limit on Britain's population, in an interview in Saturday's Times. | Mr Woolas hit the headlines when he appeared to call for a 70 million limit on Britain's population, in an interview in Saturday's Times. |
| He rowed back on these comments during a BBC Politics Show interview on Sunday, but then found himself in further hot water on Monday when he appeared to attack the government's managed migration policy. | He rowed back on these comments during a BBC Politics Show interview on Sunday, but then found himself in further hot water on Monday when he appeared to attack the government's managed migration policy. |
| 'Nature of the beast' | 'Nature of the beast' |
| In a debate in central London, he said the failure to fund asylum removals properly had caused "untold human misery and division" and said Britain could learn from the more hard line Dutch approach to immigration. | In a debate in central London, he said the failure to fund asylum removals properly had caused "untold human misery and division" and said Britain could learn from the more hard line Dutch approach to immigration. |
| He later issued a "clarification", stressing that he had been referring to the policies of all previous governments not just the current Labour administration. | He later issued a "clarification", stressing that he had been referring to the policies of all previous governments not just the current Labour administration. |
| The Conservatives claimed the minister had been "pulled" from opening a debate on border controls in the Commons on Tuesday over fears he would make more gaffes. | The Conservatives claimed the minister had been "pulled" from opening a debate on border controls in the Commons on Tuesday over fears he would make more gaffes. |
| But the Home Office said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had decided last Friday to represent the government in the debate - before Mr Woolas' Times interview was published and Downing Street said it had full confidence in the minister, who took over the immigration brief earlier this month. | But the Home Office said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had decided last Friday to represent the government in the debate - before Mr Woolas' Times interview was published and Downing Street said it had full confidence in the minister, who took over the immigration brief earlier this month. |
| Mr Woolas summed up for the government at the end of the four hour debate, which saw some Conservative MPs attempt to make capital out of his Times interview. | Mr Woolas summed up for the government at the end of the four hour debate, which saw some Conservative MPs attempt to make capital out of his Times interview. |
| Mr Woolas brushed off the controversy as being the "nature of the beast" and urged MPs not to question each other's motives in the Commons. | Mr Woolas brushed off the controversy as being the "nature of the beast" and urged MPs not to question each other's motives in the Commons. |
| But he was pitched into fresh controversy on Wednesday when The Times released unpublished quotes from his weekend interview, in which he predicts the eventual disestablishment of the Church of England. | But he was pitched into fresh controversy on Wednesday when The Times released unpublished quotes from his weekend interview, in which he predicts the eventual disestablishment of the Church of England. |
| He argued that the government's Lords reform programme will eventually lead to the historic links between Church and state being cut. | He argued that the government's Lords reform programme will eventually lead to the historic links between Church and state being cut. |
| The government distanced itself from the minister's comments and the Church of England emphasised its continued commitment to its role at the heart of the British constitution, with the Queen as its head. | The government distanced itself from the minister's comments and the Church of England emphasised its continued commitment to its role at the heart of the British constitution, with the Queen as its head. |