The clarification came after MPs voiced their concerns on social media. “Taking jewellery from refugees” is “similar to painting over murals for refugee children,” backbench MP Sarah Owen remarked, alluding to a contentious directive by the Conservatives to cover cartoons at a center for unaccompanied child migrants.
The first Labour MP mentioned earlier noted that although many colleagues observed voters gravitating towards Reform UK, a significant number are leaning toward the center-left Liberal Democrats and the Greens. “The stance we’ve adopted on immigration and asylum will harm us too,” the MP stated.
‘Moral duty’
Government officials strongly disagree with the criticism and believe the public supports their stance.
They pointed out More in Common polling indicating that even Green voters might endorse certain individual measures used in Denmark, such as providing only temporary residence to asylum seekers (50 percent support, 25 percent oppose).
A third, supportive MP on the party’s right noted there were “no surprise names” among those criticizing the government’s policies.
Mahmood affirmed on Monday that the government has a “moral duty” to fix Britain’s “broken” asylum system. “Unless we can convince people we can manage our borders, we won’t be heard on other matters,” former Minister Justin Madders told Times Radio.
According to a serving minister, it is an “existential test of our right to govern this country.” They cautioned that if Starmer fails, the resulting policy measures could be “much more drastic.”
Noah Keate contributed reporting
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