Braverman slams ‘out-of-touch lefties’ and exposes Labour ‘shame’ in heated migrant debate
Home Secretary Suella Braverman this evening told the House of Commons she “will not be hectored by out of touch lefties”, who believe that because she is not white she should support illegal boat crossings.
In a rare comment about the personal abuse she faces from the left, Ms Braverman said she is personally subject to “grotesque slurs” for saying “simple truths” about the impact of unlimited and illegal immigration.
She said: “The worst among them, poisoned by the extreme ideology of identity politics, is that a person’s skin colour should affect their political views.
“I will not be hectored by out-of-touch lefties, or anyone for that matter.
“I won’t be patronised on what appropriate views for someone of my background can hold. I will not back down when faced with spurious accusations of bigotry.”
The Home Secretary this evening also slammed the Labour MPs who signed a letter opposing the deportation of serious criminals, one of whom went on to murder a man during a knife fight.
Ernesto Elliott was due to be onboard a Home Office charter flight in December 2020, however, nearly 70 Labour MPs signed a letter by Clive Lewis MP demanding the then Home Secretary Priti Patel “cancel the planned deportation”.
The Labour MPs claimed the deportations “epitomise the Government’s continued ‘Hostile Environment’ agenda”.
Six months after avoiding deportation, Ernesto Elliott murdered a 35-year-old man in a knife fight.
He was jailed last month for at least 26 years.
Today during a debate on the Government’s new Illegal Migrant Bill, Suella Braverman turned fire on the Labour opposition, describing the decision by 70 Labour MPs to oppose the deportation of the dangerous criminal as a “shameful day for the Labour Party”.
An energetic Home Secretary told the Commons this evening: “The opposition say that this Government can’t be trusted with our borders, Mr Speaker, but the fact is that the Leader of the Opposition and 70-odd – 70-odd! – Labour MPs, a third of their parliamentary party signed letters to stop the dangerous foreign criminals being kicked out of Britain.
“One of whom went on tragically to kill another person in the UK. A shameful day for the Labour Party.”
Ms Braverman accused the Opposition of not just lacking a plan, but not caring that they do not have a plan.
She also took on those who opposed the bill because the department can’t guarantee it is compatible with international law.
The Home Secretary was required to include a “Section 19(1)(b)” order within the flagship bill, meaning that while she believes there are strong reasons it will be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, the government can’t guarantee it.
As the Daily Express revealed last week, both the last Labour Government, and the LibDems during the Coalition Government, used Section 19(1)(b) orders in their own bills.
The argument appeared to be directed at senior Tory MP Chris Skidmore, who this afternoon said he couldn’t vote for the Illegal Migrant Bill as he is “not prepared to break international law or the human rights conventions that the UK has had a proud history of playing a leading role in establishing.”
He was the second MP to publicly oppose the bill, after Chair of the Women Affairs Select Committee Caroline Nokes told the BBC she couldn’t vote for it.
Asked by the Daily Express this afternoon whether the two rebels were risking losing the party whip for failing to back the Government, a No. 10 source said tonight’s vote is not being treated as a confidence vote.
