Shabana Mahmood’s migrant plan torn apart as ‘a series of gimmicks’ | Politics | News
The Conservative Party has blasted Shabana Mahmood’s so-called tough asylum reforms as a “gimmick” ahead of her big speech tomorrow. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp this morning criticized Labour’s proposed changes, warning that only one significant change has any chance of ending illegal immigration to Britain.
Asked whether the Conservative Party would welcome the reforms introduced by Mahmood, Philip said his party would “of course” support the reforms if it “makes sense”. But he added: “What the government has announced is a combination of very small steps in the right direction and a few tricks. We’ve had all kinds of cheating from this government over the last year and a half. Remember, they were claiming they were going to crush the gangs, then they were saying they were going to interfere with boats near the coast of France, then they said they were going to do a one-to-one deal – which turned out to be 16,000 people coming.” “You go in and only 100 people come out.”
“So I’m afraid some of these announcements are cheating in that sense. There are one or two small steps in the right direction and yes we will support them where they are.”
Sky presenter Trevor Phillips challenged Mr Philp by pointing out Ms Mahmood’s new plan to quadruple the time an asylum seeker who enters the UK illegally must wait before applying for permanent settlement.
Labor plans to increase this period from five to 20 years.
But Mr Philp responded by saying the Conservative Party had said Labor should go further and comply with his party’s policy banning illegal immigrants from obtaining permission to remain in the country.
He noted: “I am afraid to say that compared to the proposals we put forward at our party conference, the proposals put forward by Shabana Mahmood today are much weaker.”
The hard-line home secretary will deliver his flagship speech on sweeping new asylum reforms tomorrow as the Labor Government struggles to stem Reform’s rise in the polls.
He warned left-wing Labor MPs not to block the changes, warning that illegal immigration was “tearing our country apart”.
He added: “It’s our job as a Labor Government to unite our country, and if we don’t get that sorted, I think our country will become even more divided.”
