An Andover woman has asked Andover's Member of Parliament for help, after a series of errors from the Home Office means her husband will be deported back to the United States.
Love Andover 13th November 2018
https://loveandover.com/news/local-news/couple-call-on-andover-mp-to-prevent-deportation-14042/
British-born Kerry Stewart, who suffers from Severe Fibromyalgia with Chronic Progression, says her American husband Rob Martin now has seven days to leave the country, as the Home Office claim he cannot retain his UK residency despite being her main carer.
The couple from Weyhill Road in Andover have contacted the office of Andover MP Kit Malthouse to see if he can help with their time-limited case.
To date they have spent £10,000 making applications to the Home Office, informing the government department of their case. Love Andover understands that on numerous occasions the Home Office have either sent inaccurate responses, getting the duration of Mr Martin's stay in the UK wrong, or failed to respond at all.
Mr Martin told Andover Radio, "On one occasion they told me to return to the US because I had been here one year, nine months and six days, in reality I had only been in the UK for five months, so we had to apply for an extension again.
Mt Martin says that the response was incorrectly sent and was for another person's application. "We tried again, but got no response.
"We've been in a constant state of keep having to apply for an extension. We're now on the third attempt, but I've run out of time according to the UK government."
The Home Office has said that Mr Martin, a former design engineer at NASA, must leave the country by Monday. They claim he would have known that his stay in the UK would be time-limited.
The couple also say that they are in serious trouble as they have spent all their money trying to get an accurate understanding from the Home Office. The couple claim that they do not have enough money to fly Mr Martin back to his home state of Virginia.
"I now have seven days to leave the UK. I cannot appeal from here, I have to appeal from the States, so now I have to leave her. She cannot get up the stairs, we have no bathroom downstairs, I have to wash and toilet her. But we have no money left.
"The Home Office say I must leave the country. If I fail to do this, I will be deported and will not be able to come back."
Mrs Stewart says, "One of the reasons that the Home Office has given why Rob can't stay in the UK, despite him being my carer, is that my illness is not life-threatening."
The Home Office have suggested that Mrs Stewart, a former nurse, should be cared for by the NHS. "This will put increased pressure on the health service" says Mrs Stewart, "This is ridiculous as I have a loving husband who is willing to work and look after me. He already has offers of work from UK companies".
The couple are seeking assistance from Mr Malthouse MP or anyone else who may be able to assist with their case.
Posted in Andover, Deportation, Home Office, Kit Malthouse MP	| Tagged Andover, Deportation, Home Office, Kerry Stewart, Kit Malthouse MP, Rob Martin, Severe Fibromyalgia	| Leave a comment
Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes
Immigration Minister, Caroline Nokes MP, is facing more controversy today as her former Election Agent and Association Chairman, Ian Hibberd, has been suspended from the Tory Party for a racist slur on Twitter.
Ian Hibberd, a member of the Mason's, had previously been Caroline Nokes Election Agent and Association Chairman. Ian Hibberd, a long standing local Councillor, has also been the Mayor of Test Valley and Romsey.
Caroline Nokes & Cllr Ian Hibberd
This follows the Immigration Minister's own comments about Scotland and Northern Ireland which many felt were disrespectful and ignorant.
In March 2018 Caroline Nokes MP caused outrage after suggesting the Scottish parliament had no more significance than an English county council. Conservative MP Caroline Nokes was appearing in front of the Scottish Affairs Committee when she was asked whether powers over immigration might be better devolved to Scotland. Responding to Committee Chair Pete Wishart, Nokes said: "I wouldn't grant any powers to the Scottish Government that I wouldn't grant to Lincolnshire county council."
More recently, the Immigration Minister took part in a car-crash Westminster Northern Ireland Affairs Committee where she admitted not being familiar with the Good Friday Agreement and bizarrely gave the excuse that 20 years ago she was "probably giving birth" which was why she was not familiar with the issue!
View the Caroline Nokes's "giving birth" excuse for not reading the Good Friday Agreement
ROMSEY ADVERTISER FRIDAY 1ST JUNE 2018
A FORMER mayor has been suspended by the Conservative Party after posting a racial slur on the internet.
Romsey Advertiser 1st June 2018
Cllr Ian Hibberd has apologised after posting the "ridiculous" remark on Facebook. Up until a few weeks ago, the 68-year-old had been mayor of Romsey, and was the mayor of Test Valley between 2009 and 2010.
Now suspended from the Romsey and Southampton North Conservative Association, it comes amid calls from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) for an independent inquiry into allegations of Islamophobia within the national Conservative Party.
The comment came in response to a photo posted on Facebook by Wellow parish councillor Harmeet Singh Brar, during his current trip to India.
The racist comment, which was offensive to Mr Brar's heritage, is not appropriate to print in a family newspaper.
Wellow Parish Councillor Harmeet Singh Brar (L)
Mr Brar said he wanted Hibberd to be kicked out of the party for the "ridiculous" slur that harked back to the 1970s. The Wellow councillor resigned from his position in the Conservative Association and joined the Liberal Democrats earlier this year.
He said: "This is exactly why I left the party. I can't speak nationally in any way, but the Romsey and Southampton North Association has this racism issue.
"It's ridiculous, I saw the comment, and I was speechless. What on earth? Are we back in the 1970s?"
Mr Brar said he wants Hibberd fired from the party.
"I don't think the actions taken are strong enough, they should be going far further and removing him from the party. When there is proof, there should be an absolute zero tolerance to racism."
Cllr Hibberd, from Lee, near Romsey, posted an apology on social media, but declined to comment further.
Ian Hibberd with Caroline Nokes MP
He said: "I'm truly sorry that I used an inappropriate term in a conversation with Mr Brar on social media. I additionally recognise my behaviour has fallen short of that of a Conservative representative and member, and that which I would expect from myself. I have therefore suspended myself from Test Valley Conservative Group, and the RSNCA, and referred myself to both the Conservative Party and Test Valley's monitoring officer."
Deputy chair political of the RSNCA, and deputy leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Nick Adams-King, said the phrase was "abhorrent" and "had absolutely no place".
He also refused calls from Mr Brar to instantly take matters further, after Mr Brar was suspended earlier this year for alleged comments about another party's members being anti-Semitic.
He added: "It is so disappointing to hear that this remark was made. We do not tolerate any form of racism.
"I understand that Mr Brar wants us to go further, but we are taking the same steps as we did with him when he acted in a similar way earlier this year."
It comes as the MCB criticises the national Conservative Party in an open letter, saying there were "more than weekly incidents" of Islamophobia within the party.
The letter, written by the secretary general of the MCB, Harun Khan, said: "Just last month, there were more than weekly occurences of Islamophobia from candidates and representatives of the Conservative party."
In response to Cllr Hibberd's remarks, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: "Ian Hibberd has been suspended and an investigation is underway."
http://www.romseyadvertiser.co.uk/news/16262273.ex-mayor-suspended-from-party-after-posting-racist-slur-online/
Posted in Caroline Nokes, Caroline Nokes MP, Conservative Party, Harmeet Singh Brar, Ian Hibberd, Immigration Minister, Islamophobia, Romsey, Romsey & Southampton North, Romsey Conservatives, Romsey Extra, Southampton, Test Valley	| Tagged Caroline Nokes MP, Cllr Ian Hibberd, Conservative Party, Harmeet Singh Brar, Immigration Minister, Islamophobia, Liberal Democrats, Racism, Romsey, Romsey and Southampton North, Test Valley	| Leave a comment
Fathers4Justice International Campaign Director, Nadine O'Connor, is denied access to Broadcasting House in London by BBC security after she attempted to deliver a formal complaint about CBeebies star Katy Ashworth. The letter was later accepted by a BBC commissioner.
Ashworth has been denying dad, Australian TV director Ben Alcott, access to his son Charlie over a number of years. Alcott hadn't seen his son in four months, and had travelled 40,000 miles to and from Australia where he lives, with Charlie's Christmas present, over the last 2 months.
Alcott said he was 'heartbroken' and was 'living a nightmare'.
Ashworth, who had since moved from London to Manchester, had told Alcott he couldn't see his son again on this visit until Fathers4Justice stepped in and announced a protest outside the BBC.
Ashworth backed down, and the two were eventually reunited in Manchester where Ben was able to give his son his Christmas present.
The complaint about Katy Ashworth was lodged with the Director-General of the BBC calling for her to be suspended pending an investigation into the allegations against her in the Daily Mail.
Posted in BBC, Ben Alcott, CBeebies, Contact Denial, Fathers4Justice, Katy Ashworth, Nadine O'Connor	| Tagged BBC, Ben Alcott, CBeebies, Contact Denial, Fathers4Justice, Katy Ashworth, Nadine O'Connor	| Leave a comment