Labour MP Jess Phillips told The Big Issue last week that Rudd should stay in her role, instead insisting that the blame for the Windrush scandal lies with the Prime Minister, who was Home Secretary between 2010 and 2016.
“I actually feel for Amber Rudd because she has had to clear up the mess that has been left by Theresa May,” said Phillips, who took to the streets of Birmingham on April 26 to experience life as a Big Issue vendor.
“She has inherited a Home Office with a culture of bullying and mistreating migrants and a system that is broken and corrupt.”
Rudd’s replacement, Javid, leaves behind the Housing, Communities & Local Government department where he had been leading the government’s work to tackle the housing crisis.
“We are going to have a strategy in place that actually does something the previous Home Secretary set out last week in her statement to Parliament about making sure we have an immigration policy that is fair and treats people with respect and with decency,” Javid said, following the announcement. “That will be one of my most urgent tasks, to make sure that we look carefully at the policy and make sure it achieves just that.
“I think for anyone to see their child grow and become Home Secretary, all parents would be really pleased with that. My parents came to our country in the 1960s from Pakistan to help build this country. I think for them to see one of their sons arise to this great office of State – I am sure they would be very proud.”
Speaking to The Big Issue last year, the Bromsgrove MP spoke of his plans to bring the Housing First approach that had proven successful in Finland to the UK in a bid to tackle homelessness.
Former Northern Ireland minister James Brokenshire will take over Javid’s old job while International Development Secretary will pick up the role of Minister for Equalities following Rudd’s departure.
A Downing Street statement said: “The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP as secretary of state for the home department.”
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