MAY DAY NO MORE?
The good news first and it comes in the unlikely shape of Brodie Clark, the former head of the UK Border Force. This morning he has admitted that he failed to keep the Home Secretary informed of relaxation of fingerprint checks when he discovered them this year. Proving perhaps that trained journalists are better inquisitors than MPs, the Today programme has managed to winkle this key admission out of Clark just hours after his more robust performance before the Home Affairs Select Committee. 

Clark makes clear that he assumed Damian Green and Theresa May knew all about the 2007 policy to relax controls at times of health and safety emergency - and you have to wonder why ministers weren't more inquisitive about such a key policy. But he accepts he has 'no evidence' ministers knew. In a killer line he says: "Perhaps I should have more thoroughly checked out what the Home Secretary knew or didn't know."

Clark suggests he thought the relaxation in controls was so 'sensible' he didn't have to inform ministers. In possibly his most self-incriminating line yet on his relations with Mrs May, he says "I didn't assume she didn't know". Classic Sir Humphrey stuff and enough to leave most thinking the Home Secretary has been vindicated. 

Committee member and Tory MP James Clappison has stuck the boot in, telling the BBC 'there’s no evidence that ministers were told anything about this and it’s glaringly obvious that they should have been' .Meanwhile, the Mail has a leaked disciplinary report into Clark which also suggests he failed to keep May informed.

By PAUL WAUGH politicshome.com
WAUGH ROOM MEMO