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‘Not fit for purpose’ – the secret history of a deadly phrase

 ‘Not fit for purpose’ – the secret history of a deadly phrase. 2 hours ago. Adam Fleming,Newscastand. Chris Mason,Political editor. AFP via Getty Images. “Our system is not fit for purpose.”. And with this description of parts of the Home Office in 2006, the then-Home Secretary John Reid minted a phrase that has lodged in the lexicon of British politics.. He was speaking a few months after thousands of foreign-born prisoners had been released from British jails without first being considered for deportation.. Lord Reid has previously attributed the four-word phrase to an unnamed senior civil servant. Now in a three-part series about the Home Office, the Newscast podcast can reveal the identity of its author.. It was the permanent secretary in the department at the time, Sir David Normington.. “It is my phrase, but it was written in a private memo to the Home Secretary, John Reid, just after he had arrived. [It was] me saying, ‘This is what the Home Office is like,'” he told us.. Sir David accompanied Lord Reid as he uttered the now infamous form of words to a House of Commons committee two decades ago.. “With me sat beside him, [I tried] to rearrange my face as he described all 70,000 civil servants in the Home Office as not fit for purpose,” he recalled.. “That was a difficult moment and the civil service said to me: ‘Well, why don’t you stand up and tell him it’s not true?’. “The trouble was… it was my phrase.”. House of Commons. In the 20 years since it was popularised, “not fit for purpose” has become an a universal by-word for state incompetence, something bureaucrats and their ministerial bosses reach for when they are trying to strike a tough, no-nonsense tone.. The Hansard record of parliamentary proceedings suggests it has been used nearly 3,000 times in the Commons and Lords since 2006. In the 20 years before that, the phrase was used just 37 times.. It has been deployed in debates ranging from conditions in armed forces housing to the sewerage system of a Cornish hospital.. In our interview with him, Sir David wanted to clear up some myths that have become attached to the term.. It was originally a reference to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, a unit within the Home Office, rather than the entire Home Office.. And it was a description of technology, management and processes in the unit and not the whole staff or the immigration rules.. To be fair to Lord Reid, he made those distinctions at the time but his caveats have been lost in Whitehall lore.. Proving that words can go on hurting for decades, the phrase was dismissed on Newscast as “dismissive and “generic” by Lord Reid’s immediate predecessor as Labour home secretary, Charles Clarke, who returned to the backbenches following the 2006 foreign prisoners debacle.. “Obviously, as in any organisation, there are things that are done well and things that are done badly,” Clarke told us.. “And the job of the leadership… is to review how the department is doing, where it’s 

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Illegal migrant charged in deadly 124 mph chase that killed pregnant teen, unborn child

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday that it has issued an immigration detainer for an illegal immigrant accused of leading Ohio deputies on a high-speed chase that concluded in a crash, killing a pregnant 17-year-old girl and her unborn child while injuring another woman. Tarsem Singh, an Indian national, was recently indicted on charges of vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless homicide, per DHS. He is currently held on a $1 million bond, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placing an arrest detainer on him with Ohio authorities. The fatal incident occurred in Feb. A pursuit began when a Darke County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted an SUV speeding nearly 25 mph over the limit. ‘VIRGINIA FATHER’ CHARGED WITH MURDERING INFANT DAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, SAYS DHS. Officials stated that the deputy tried to catch up to the SUV, allegedly driven by Singh, and paced it at 100 mph. As the deputy turned on his emergency lights for a traffic stop, the SUV fled, traveling about five miles at speeds up to 124 mph before colliding with an eastbound vehicle on a curve, per the sheriff’s office. The deputy promptly alerted dispatch about the crash and checked for injuries, discovering that pregnant 17-year-old Ashlee Holmes, Singh’s passenger, had died after being ejected from the vehicle, according to local outlet WDTN. EXCLUSIVE: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASED UNDER BIDEN ‘CATCH-AND-RELEASE’ ALLEGEDLY KILLS DRIVER IN POLICE CHASE. Singh was airlifted by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital. The female driver of the eastbound vehicle, who was conscious and alert despite her injuries, was transported to Reid Hospital in Richmond, Indiana, via Union City, per the sheriff’s office. Officials noted the pursuit lasted under three minutes from initiation to crash. The reason Holmes was in Singh’s vehicle remains unknown. “This is yet another tragic reminder of why illegal aliens should not be driving cars on America’s roads,” DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis wrote in a statement. This illegal immigrant’s reckless behavior has resulted in the death of a 17-year-old woman and her unborn child. Singh reportedly crossed into the country illegally via California’s southern border in February 2017 and was detained prior to a judge ordering his release on bond. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP. Bis stated that the newly filed ICE detainer against Singh was intended to guarantee he is “never released and allowed back behind the wheel to endanger more innocent lives.”  

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Massive manhunt underway in New Hampshire town after gunman allegedly wounds police officer, fires on family

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! State and local authorities are conducting an urgent search for 38-year-old Matthew J. Massey of Raymond, New Hampshire, a suspect armed with a long gun who allegedly fired at family members and responding police in the state on Saturday just after 1:30 p.m., injuring an officer and sparking a large-scale manhunt. at local time, and was subsequently located by officers. He then fired upon the arriving officers, injuring one, per New Hampshire State Police. The injured Nottingham Police Department officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital and is in serious condition. NEW HAMPSHIRE MAN FATALLY SHOT AT COUNTRY CLUB WEDDING, SUSPECT CHARGED WITH MURDER. According to state police, Massey reportedly fled the scene, prompting additional law enforcement officers to arrive and establish a perimeter around the area. He stands 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs slightly more than 200 pounds. He has black hair and hazel eyes, and is thought to be hiding in a large wooded area. Authorities are deploying K-9 units and aerial resources to search for Massey, who faces active felony warrants for attempted arson at his family’s home on Thursday. At a Saturday night news conference, Raymond Police Department Chief Michael Labell stated that before Saturday’s shooting, officers had been “working feverishly with other agencies to locate him.” It’s unclear whether Massey has any prior criminal record. Area residents have been instructed to shelter in place during the ongoing search, making sure to lock their doors and keep all keys indoors. Several roads are still closed, including Route 156. “We know this incident has caused anxiety in the public, and we want everyone to be assured that we’re utilizing all available resources — which are substantial — to take this suspect into custody,” said New Hampshire State Police Maj. Brendan Davey: “Numerous resources from the New Hampshire State Police, including tactical resources from our Investigative Services Bureau, along with dozens of federal, county, and local law enforcement agencies, have been deployed to assist in this active operation,” he continued. Everyone is needed on this, and it will continue until we have the suspect in custody.  

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At least 13 people injured after vehicle slams into Louisiana parade: sheriff’s office

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! Over a dozen people were hospitalized after a vehicle hit several parade participants on Saturday in New Iberia, Louisiana. The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office reported the crash occurred at an intersection, injuring multiple individuals. Local ambulance service Acadian Ambulance transported 11 patients by ground ambulance and two by medical helicopter. Authorities stated some injuries are considered serious. CAR BARRELS INTO CROWD OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA BAR, GUNFIRE ERUPTS IN CHAOTIC SCENE CAUGHT ON VIDEO. Acadian reports that ten ambulances and two helicopters responded to the scene. Deputies confirmed that the driver, who has not been publicly identified, is in custody. Officials stated, based on the preliminary investigation, that the wreck “does not appear to be an intentional act.” The cause of the incident remains unknown. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP. New Iberia, a small Cajun town in southern Louisiana roughly 30 minutes from Lafayette, is the focus of this developing story. Kindly check back later for updates.  

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Daughters’ relentless search shatters ‘overdose’ claim, leads to arrest in mom’s 1992 murder

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! Over three decades after a Washington mother was discovered dead in her home, authorities have arrested a suspect in the long-dormant case. In November 1992, Janice Randle was found deceased on her bed in her Graham, Washington residence, with her infant daughter in a nearby crib. At that time, her husband, James Randle, informed authorities that she might have died from a drug overdose, pointing to her previous use of painkillers. The couple was separated and in the midst of a divorce. The case was originally handled as a death investigation and potential overdose. Autopsy findings later showed no drugs in Randle’s system, leading investigators to reclassify the case as a homicide. Even with this change, evidence remained scarce, and detectives could not build probable cause for an arrest. The case went unsolved for decades. “Realtor’s Cold Case Murder Solved After 133 Years, Police Say.” The investigation was reopened in recent years when family members provided new information, including reports of purported confessions by James Randle. Those leads offered investigators a new angle—and a fresh way ahead. Officials state the revitalized probe ultimately provided probable cause to arrest the now 68-year-old suspect, who resided in a care facility in Everett, Washington.  

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Three people hospitalized after city bus crashes into popular DC restaurant: officials

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! A city bus slammed into a well-known restaurant in Washington, D.C., on Saturday morning, crashing through the vacant dining area and injuring three people who were hospitalized. D.C. Fire and EMS teams arrived at the intersection of 7th and Q streets NW following a collision between the bus and another vehicle, per the D.C. Fire and EMS Department. The WMATA Metrobus plowed into the AMBAR Restaurant in the Shaw neighborhood, penetrating the structure and stopping inside the empty space, FOX 5 reported. AT LEAST 2 STUDENTS KILLED, SEVERAL INJURED IN SCHOOL BUS CRASH IN TENNESSEE: ‘A PARENT’S WORST NIGHTMARE’. A bus crashed into an unoccupied restaurant at 7th & Q Sts NW, the department posted on X. Four people were assessed after the incident, with three adult women taken to the hospital for minor injuries, officials reported. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT AMONG 5 KILLED IN NEW YORK TOUR BUS CRASH AFTER NIAGARA FALLS VISIT. Firefighters shut off utilities and searched the building, as a specialized collapse unit was sent to evaluate its stability. Officials subsequently reported that the bus had been extracted from the structure, with no significant structural damage noted. Fire crews assessed that no shoring was required and started clearing the area. SEMI-TRUCK DRIVER DETAINED ON ICE HOLD FOLLOWING HEAD-ON CRASH THAT KILLED 4. Officials have not disclosed details about the cause of the crash. The number of people on the bus during the incident is still unknown. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP. AMBAR, a Michelin-recognized Balkan restaurant in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood, is known for its popular unlimited brunch and dinner service, per its website. WMATA and the D.C. Fire and EMS Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.  

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