Downing Street has defended Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson after he mentioned asylum seekers who do not wish to be housed in barges ought to “f*** off back to France”.
When requested if this view represented the federal government, Number 10 pointed to feedback made by Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, who mentioned the “indignation” of the Ashfield MP was properly positioned.
“The justice secretary was speaking on behalf of the government. That is the response,” the spokesperson advised Sky News.
Politics reside: Minister defends senior Tory’s ‘salty’ feedback about migrants
Mr Anderson made the incendiary remarks after it emerged 20 asylum seekers had been granted a last-minute reprieve from boarding the Bibby Stockholm lodging vessel on Monday.
The charity Care4Calais mentioned their transfers from resorts had been “cancelled” after attorneys challenged the choice.
Tory MP Mr Anderson advised Express.co.uk: “If they don’t like barges then they should f*** off back to France.”
He added: “I think people have just had enough.
“These folks come throughout the Channel in small boats… if they do not just like the situations they’re housed in right here then they need to return to France, or higher not come in any respect within the first place.”
The intervention by attorneys meant simply 15 migrants entered the floating lodging off the Dorset coast on Monday.
The Bibby Stockholm will in the end maintain 500 single male asylum seekers beneath plans to cut back reliance on costly resorts – however transferring migrants to the vessel has been mired in issue and delays amid security issues and native opposition.
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20 asylum seekers didn’t board the Bibby Stockholm after authorized challenges
Mr Chalk advised LBC: “Lee Anderson expresses the righteous indignation of the British people. Yes, he does it in salty terms, that’s his style, but his indignation is well placed.”
He added that 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 mentioned.
“He expresses himself in his characteristically robust terms but there is a lot of sense, in my respectful view, in what Lee says.”
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Mr Anderson has a historical past of constructing controversial feedback, together with saying that individuals who use meals banks cannot cook dinner correctly.
London Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned his newest remarks and accused the federal government of stocking divisions.
He tweeted: “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.”
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems referred to as Mr Chalk’s defence of Mr Anderson “toe curling” and “another sign of how weak this government has become”.
Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael mentioned: “Lifelong Conservative voters expect decent and respectful political debate, something completely lacking amongst Conservative MPs.
“This Conservative authorities has made an entire hash of our asylum system after Priti Patel blocked assets to cope with the report 180,000 backlog in instances. This is a multitude of their very own making.”
Content Source: information.sky.com