Gamu Nhengu should not be deported

The Conservative Conference has been discussing crime, welfare, the economy, schools and hospitals. But outside the Birmingham bubble the rest of the country has been talking about Gamu from X Factor. She is not being put through to the next round of the singing competition and apparently the real reason is that she faces deportation.

Her mother Nokuthula Ngazana was not a welfare scrounger. She worked hard getting a job as a nurse in Scotland. But she claimed Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit which under immigration rules she was no entitled to.

Reports are contradictory over some of the details. But from my understanding of the facts leniency would be reasonable.

First of all the Tax Credit claims may well have been a genuine mistake. These were the tax credits introduced by Gordon Brown in 2003. She might have been confused as to whether these were welfare benefits or tax rebates. She would not have been the only one to be confused by the "over-complicated, appallingly badly administered tax credit system" as Michael Fallon described it.

A group was established of Tax Credit "victims" and before the election George Osborne wrote to them to say:

Complexity has made it difficult to administer in practice and has led to far too many of the payments being wrong.

Given this, the Conservatives are now examining ways to reform the administration of tax credits. In particular, a Conservative Government would establish an Office of Tax Simplification, to suggest ways in which the existing tax system can be streamlined.

What if Nokuthula paid back the money (with perhaps Simon Cowell chipping in). Wouldn't that help? Furthermore Gamu has not done anything wrong but she is not allowed to apply for a visa for herself. Also, of course, we are talking about sending people back to Zimbabwe which has one of the vilest dictators on the planet.

I don't say that any of these considerations make the decision easy. But they should be taken into account - quite apart from Gamu's extraordinary singing ability.

The Home Secretary should, at least, allow Gamu to stay until Christmas and so have the chance to win the competition.

Over to you, Theresa.