Lee Anderson called for Jeremy Corbyn to be “deported” along with 600 asylum seekers that crossed the Channel yesterday. The Ashford MP took aim at the former Labour leader, who now sits as an independent, after Mr Corbyn verbally attacked Reform’s MPs.
Addressing Angela Eagle, the Labour minister for Border Security and Asylum, Mr Anderson asked: “Today over 600 illegal migrants have entered this country. They could get up to all sorts of mischief, commit crimes, and maybe even acts of terrorism.
“So does she agree with me that these young men crossing the Channel should be immediately detained and deported, along with the member for Islington?”
It was a pointed dig at Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the Islington North constituency as an Independent MP.
In response, Ms Eagle said: “I certainly hope that kind of comment might be a joke, but I actually wonder whether that kind of arbitrary treatment of people who are in this country – if we came out of the ECHR, as he wants – will become the law for Reform.
“We are a law abiding government. The Right Honourable member for Islington has a complete right to his opinions and a complete right to express them from whatever side of the house he sits and I personally have worked with and have a great deal of respect for him.
“So I’m quite shocked that the Honourable Gentleman thinks that’s an appropriate thing to say in this place”.
Mr Anderson’s comments came in response to Mr Corbyn’s. The 75-year-old Commons veteran attacked the Labour government’s immigration reforms, which will see care homes banned from employing new foreign staff and stricter English lessons for new arrivals.
He accused Sir Keir Starmer of using “the language of Enoch Powell” in introducing the immigration white paper, before pointing to Reform’s MPs, including Nigel Farage, and saying: “Is it all about trying to please these people who unfortunately sit in front of me?”
