The Reform MP’s warning comes ahead of a major press conference by Nigel Farage to unveil the party’s deportations policy.
Lee Anderson slammed the government’s boast (Image: Getty)
Lee Anderson has slapped down Yvette Cooper after the Home Office boldly claimed that anyone entering the UK “will face being returned”. In a social media post yesterday, the Home Office claimed that asylum seeker return rates have risen by 28% since the general election.
This is despite the number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels increasing by 8% since Labour came to power, as just 3.62% of illegal migrants arriving by small boats have been ejected from the country. The Home Office’s claim quickly came under fire, with Reform UK’s Lee Anderson blasting: “Stop gaslighting the British public. You have only deported 4% of migrants who have arrived by boat. And they still keep coming.”
Boastful: Yvette Cooper (Image: Getty)
The slap down came ahead of a major press conference by Nigel Farage this morning, where the Reform leader will set out his plans for mass deportations of illegal migrants should he win the next election.
Mr Farage will announce plans to prioritise British citizens over foreigners, as well as tear up international laws hamstringing the government’s ability to get a grip on the crisis.
Reform would take Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights, replacing it with a new British Bill of Rights that would only apply to British citizens with a legal right to be in the UK.
Writing in the Telegraph this morning, Mr Farage accused Keir Starmer of siding with foreign judges instead of the British people.
He warned: “No longer will these malign influences be allowed to frustrate deportations. The planes will take off, and plenty of them at that.
“The time has come to put this country first. This is all a question of priorities. Is Keir Starmer on the side of the British people, national security and protecting women and girls – or is he on the side of outdated international treaties and human rights lawyers?”
Nigel Farage will hold a major press conference this morning (Image: Getty)
Mr Farage will unveil his plans this morning from Oxford, including the aim of building mass detention centres capable of housing up to 24,000 illegal migrants.
Those detained would also be barred from leaving or claiming bail, Mr Farage added.
Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly defended the ECHR treaty, saying he treats it with “profound respect”.
However a growing number of Labour figures have begun questioning Britain’s membership of the convention, including a former cabinet minister.
This weekend Lord Blunkett, Tony Blair’s former Home Secretary, said the government may need to look at suspending elements of the treaty that are preventing Britain from getting a grip on the illegal migrant crisis.
Last week Labour backbencher Graham Stringer was the first to say outright Britain should withdraw from the ECHR, saying that while it had begun with noble intentions foreign judges had since warped the treaty.
