Labour’s new border tsar will earn £130,000 per year while living in Finland as Tories have slammed the “ludicrous” decision.
John Tuckett, 73, was named by the Government last month as the “preferred candidate” for the role.
As Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, he would be in charge of assessing the Government’s performance in all areas of immigration, including tackling the small boats crisis.
However, in a confirmation hearing in front of MPs he said he was a resident of Finland, and an advocate for remote working.
John Tuckett was named by the Government last month as the “preferred candidate” for the role
GOV.UK
He said he envisioned a “60/40 split” between being available for in-person commitments and “dedicated time wherever” for writing reports and “quiet reflection”.
In his current role as Immigration Services Comissioner, he closed the office and adopted a “fully remote” model.
He said the decision to close down the office after the Covid-19 pandemic was a “win, win, win”.
Commenting on this decision, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “It’s totally ludicrous to claim an important public official can work from a different country hundreds of miles away. “
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“We need civil servants and other public officials to get back to the office, not work remotely from Lapland.”
Labour MP Chris Murray asked Mr Tuckett if he lived “within commuting distance” of the London office, to which he replied that he did not, but travels to the UK when needed.
Murray said: “You’d be expecting to inspect the UK borders and immigration without being resident in the UK?”
Tuckett replied: “No, I work in the UK, and I would be in the UK.”
In this role, Tuckett would be in charge of assessing the Government’s performance in all areas of immigration, including tackling the small boats crisis
PAHe added that he would pay for his own travel and accommodation when he needed to come to Britain.
The hearing is a formality usually carried out before the candidate is formally appointed.
David Neal, the last chief inspector, was fired in 2024 after voicing concerns in the Daily Mail that “high-risk” private flights to the UK had evaded passport controls at London City Airport.
According to public records, Tuckett had a home near the Saaksjarvi lake in Finland, dubbed the “sauna capital of the world”, between 2011 and 2013.
Committee chair Dame Karen Bradley asked if Tuckett could work from London five days a week.
He said: “Yep. My judgment is you need time when you’re available for ministers, visits, all the things you need to do face to face.
"You also need time where you can think, sit back, write... So I think there’s a 60/40 split for the chief inspector where you need to spend a bulk of the time available doing the rounds, being visible.
"And then you need dedicated time wherever, doing that quiet reflection…”
Home Office sources said Tuckett’s working arrangements would be a “matter for him”.
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