Charles Clarke Must Go - Sollitt

1.21.54pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 28th Apr 2006

Steve Sollitt, Liberal Democrat spokesman for Southampton Test and Candidate in the forthcoming Portswood By election has said that Home Secretary Charles Clarke must go in the light of this weeks events

"It's very simple - the Home Office has made a huge blunder in losing track of over 1,000 convicted criminals before deportation proceedings could be considered.

The Government has failed to keep track of some very dangerous individuals. Under questioning from Nick Clegg MP on Wednesday, Charles Clarke admitted that he didn't know the whereabouts of three murderers and nine rapists who were released and not deported. Such shocking incompetence is now putting public safety at risk. How dare Tony Blair claim he is tough on crime?

Quite simply, if this sort of mistake is not worth of a ministerial resignation, what is?

Labour in Southampton attack the Liberal Democrats for being not hard enough on Anti Social Behaviour and Crime. This is completely untrue. How can they attack us when they make this type of error?"