Columnist Ella Whelan has praised Brexit for being a “facilitator” to the ongoing discussion about immigration
Ella Whelan shared her opinion on the latest immigration rules (Image: BBC)
BBC Question Time discussed Shabana Mahmood‘s new immigration rules, which has seen the Home Secretary announce she is replacing a “broken immigration system with one that prioritises contribution, integration and respect for the British sense of fair play”. Columnist Ella Whelan appeared on the BBC show to discuss the policy, praising the Home Secretary for doing something “important”.
She said: “What she’s done is finally given a parliamentary voice to discussions that people have been having in the country for a very long time, and taking this issue seriously.” However, Ella noted that you need to “have the stomach” to then deal with problems in the civil service, with judges and the ECHR which she said will “thwart any attempt domestically to deal with this”.
Shabana Mahmood has shared plans to crack down on immigration (Image: Getty)
When questioned by Fiona Bruce if Ella believes the UK should leave the ECHR, she admitted that it wouldn’t solve everything, but would challenge politicians to be accountable.
Ella said: “In the same way that leaving the European Union was not just important, but vital because it was a challenge to British politicians to be wholly accountable for controlling boarders. You couldn’t have a discussion about us controlling borders without Brexit.
“It’s kind of ludicrous for you to even make out that Brexit is a barrier to this discussion, it’s a facilitator in many ways.”
She also addressed the complexities that come along with asylum seekers, noting they’re not “all the most vulnerable”, adding: “There’s complexities and problems here.
“Stop with the lazy characterisations, I think actually what most people want, their concern isn’t that the UK is on the brink of far-right extremism and Shabana Mahmood is coming to make us all nice again, the issue is a much more fundamental question for people: Do we have control of our country?”
People rushed to the comments to praise Ella’s take on immigration as one person said her response is “serious, thoughtful and sensible,” adding: “It’s a shame politics isn’t full of people like Ella Whelan.”
Another wrote: “Whelan talks sense,” while a third said: “We need this sort of person in government.”
