Sadiq Khan slams Government over Tory’s anti-asylum outburst

Aug 08, 2023 at 1:33 PM

adiq Khan on Tuesday accused the Government of stoking “division and hate” after a foul-mouthed assault by a number one Conservative MP on asylum seekers.

The London Mayor spoke out after Justice Secretary Alex Chalk defended the comment by Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson, who mentioned that any asylum seekers sad at being relocated to a barge off Dorset can “f*** off back to France”.

Mr Chalk mentioned his Conservative colleague had used “salty” language in expressing the “righteous indignation” of the British public, insisting that asylum seekers ought to make their case in France somewhat than crossing the Channel.

“We’re a country that believes in fairness and playing by the rules and those who don’t play by the rules … rightly cause indignation, and I think Lee was expressing that indignation in his own way,” the Cabinet minister mentioned on Times Radio.

But Mr Khan careworn: “Language matters. This lot have been in Government for 13 years. After their abject failure all that’s left is stoking up more division and hate. We deserve so much better.”

Labour MP Rupa Huq accused the Tories of “desperate gutter politics”, including it “looks like they are trying to regain their reputation as the nasty party”.

Liberal Democrat house affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael mentioned Mr Chalk’s defence of Mr Anderson was “toe-curling” – and highlighted that his social gathering is concentrating on the minister’s Cheltenham seat as a key marginal within the subsequent General Election.

“Lifelong Conservative voters expect decent and respectful political debate, something completely lacking amongst Conservative MPs,” Mr Carmichael mentioned.

“People in Blue Wall Cheltenham would have been spitting out their cornflakes listening to Alex Chalk this morning.”

Independent MP Diane Abbott referred to as Mr Anderson’s feedback “a new low even for the Tories”.

TV presenter Carol Vorderman condemned Mr Chalk for defending his colleague. “What does this country now look like to the outside world with this rabble of politicians?” she tweeted.

A complete of 15 folks looking for asylum have been moved to the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland on Monday.

The asylum seekers, who’re all believed to be grownup males aged between 18 and 65, arrived on buses amid a heavy police presence. But as much as 20 others gained authorized challenges in opposition to their relocation.

“If they don’t like barges then they should f*** off back to France,” Mr Anderson informed the Express web site.

He added: “I think people have just had enough. These people come across the Channel in small boats, if they don’t like the conditions they are housed in here then they should go back to France, or better not come at all in the first place.”

The floating lodging block will in the end home as much as 500 males moved from inns or elsewhere in Britain.

The barge, owned by a Swedish agency, was beforehand used to deal with oil subject employees and migrants in different nations.

The UK Government has moved folks there in a bid to chop the invoice for sheltering migrants in inns, which it places at £6 million a day.

Mr Chalk mentioned France is a secure nation and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights.

“People should claim asylum in the first country – it’s not like there should be an open shopping list of where you want to go,” he added.

“(Mr Anderson) expresses himself in his characteristically robust terms but there is a lot of sense, in my respectful view, in what Lee says.”