Blunkett lover advised author over visa bid
British Foreign Secretary David Blunkett’s former lover intervened in a second immigration application, it emerged today.
Best-selling author Bill Bryson was told to speak to Kimberly Quinn for advice on immigration difficulties facing his daughter-in-law, a US citizen.
Mrs Quinn referred the author to an official in Mr Blunkett’s department.
According to today’s (British) Times newspaper, Mr Bryson turned to the American publisher when he was trying to obtain permanent residence for Meg Bryson, 24, the wife of his British son, David.
She arrived in Britain in August last year on a six-month tourist visa and applied for leave to stay on as the spouse of a British citizen. However, her request was rejected as the application should have been made before she arrived in the country.
A publishing friend reportedly advised Mr Bryson to speak to Mrs Quinn, the published of The Spectator magazine. She gave him the number of a Home Office official.
The official said no exception could be made. His daughter-in-law returned to the USA.
The Home Office indicated Mr Blunkett had been aware of the case but had refused to help.
In a statement to the Times it said: “The Home Secretary has made his position clear on the one visa application he was involved in. No one in his office was ever authorised to accept applications from any of Mrs Quinn’s friends or contacts.
“She may have claimed to have a contact who could help but the evidence in the Bryson case clearly shows the Home Secretary refused to help.”
Mr Bryson told the paper a friend gave him Mrs Quinn’s number.
“I did not realise I was talking with someone who had an intimate acquaintance with anyone in the Home Office.
“I thought if I could speak to a human being, perhaps we could sort it out.”
He added: “We were not trying to manipulate the system. It was just a silly glitch.”
