Chris Philp slapped down Labour’s proposals (Image: Sky News)
The Tories have torn apart Shabana Mahmood’s supposedly hard-line asylum reforms as “gimmicks”, ahead of her major speech tomorrow. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted Labour’s proposed changes this morning, as he warned that only one crucial change has any chance of ending illegal migration into Britain.
Asked if the Tories would welcome the reforms being brought in by Ms Mahmood, Mr Philp said his party would “of course” support reforms where they “make sense”. But added: “What the government has announced is a combination of very small steps in the right direction, with a few gimmicks as well. Over the last year and a half we’ve had all kinds of gimmicks from this government. Remember, they used to claim they were going to smash the gangs, then they said they were going to intercept boats near the French shore, then they said they were going to have a one-in-one-out deal – which has turned out to be 16,000 people coming in and only 100 going out.”
Shabana Mahmood announced new reforms (Image: Sky News)
“So some of these announcements, I’m afraid, are gimmicks in that vein. There are one or two small steps in the right direction, and where there are yes we’ll support them.”
Sky host Trevor Phillips challenged Mr Philp, pointing to Ms Mahmood’s new plan to quadruple the amount of time an asylum seeker who enters Britain illegally has to wait before they can apply for permanent settlement.
Labour is planning to increase it from five years to 20 years.
However Mr Philp shot back that the Tories have already said Labour must go further, and match his party’s policy of banning illegal migrants from ever gaining leave to remain.
He pointed out: “I’m afraid to say that compared to the proposals we set out at our party conference, what Shabana Mahmood set out today is a lot weaker.”
The hardline Home Secretary is set to make her flagship speech on new comprehensive asylum reforms tomorrow, as the Labour Government grapples to get a grip in order to stop the rise of Reform in the polls.
She warned that illegal immigration “is tearing our country apart” as she warned left-wing Labour MPs not to frustrate the changes.
She added: “It’s our job as a Labour Government to unite our country and if we don’t sort this out, I think our country becomes much more divided.”
