Furious PM blasts Starmer as 'lefty lawyer standing in our way' as he defends 'delusional' migrant plans at PMQs

8 March 2023, 12:23 | Updated: 8 March 2023, 12:54

The Prime Minister described the leader of the opposition as “just another lefty lawyer standing in our way” in incendiary remarks at PMQs as he defended the government’s controversial new migrant plan.

Rishi Sunak said the Tories had the backing of “the people” as he faced questions over when he will achieve his goal of “stopping the boats”.

"Stopping the boats is not just my priority, it's the people's priority," Mr Sunak said, before calling Sir Keir "just another lefty lawyer standing in our way”.

But Sir Keir decried the plans as ‘nonsense,’ and criticised the cost of keeping migrants who have not yet been returned ‘sitting in hotels’ for long periods at the taxpayer’s expense.

He accused the PM of being “absolutely deluded” on his small boats policy.

The fiery exchange at PMQs came as Home Secretary Suella Braverman faced a backlash after claiming that "likely billions" of people are eager to come to the UK.

Read more: Suella Braverman faces backlash over claim 'billions' of people are trying to reach UK

The Home Secretary, who is championing the Government's controversial plans to stop small boat crossings, said people will not stop trying to get to Britain until it's made "crystal clear" they will be deported if they arrive illegally.

She also sparked the anger of civil servants and accusations of breaching the ministerial code in an email to Tory members.

The Home Secretary claimed that previous attempts to end Channel crossings without resorting to changing the law had been blocked by “an activist blob of left-wing lawyers, civil servants and the Labour Party”.

She has been accused of adopting "extremist" language in her latest remarks about how many people want to get into the UK.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Ms Braverman said: "In the face of today's global migration crisis, yesterday's laws are simply not fit for purpose.

"There are 100 million people displaced around the world, and likely billions more eager to come here if possible.

Read more: New plans to stop small boats 'very concerning' says UN refugee body as Rishi Sunak insists he's 'up for the fight'

Immigration Minister expresses his ‘disappointment’ after a UN agency condemned migrant bill

"They are already coming here in their tens of thousands. And they will not stop until we've made it crystal clear: Arrive illegally and you will be liable for detention and swiftly removed – to your home country or to a safe third country like Rwanda.

"That is precisely what the Illegal Migration Bill will do. That is how we will stop the boats."

Ms Braverman, who was previously in hot water for comparing migrant crossings to an "invasion", has been heavily criticised for using the figure - which represents a massive proportion of the world's population.

Tory peer Gavin Barwell, who served as Theresa May's chief of staff, said: "Is there a problem with people illegally crossing the Channel? Yes.

"Are 100 million people trying to come here? Of course not. The Home Secretary should be utterly ashamed of herself for resorting to the language of extremists."

The UK has seen numbers in the tens of thousands try to make the perilous journey over the Channel - well below millions or billions. In 2022, more than 45,000 were said to have crossed.

The UN's refugee agency has described the Government's asylum plans to stop small boat crossings as "very concerning" as Rishi Sunak has warned he is "up for the fight" against any legal challenges to his controversial new Bill.

The UNHCR representative to the UK said it would break international law and was not necessary.

Vicky Tennant, of the UNHCR, said: "We're very concerned. This is effectively closing off access to asylum in the UK for people arriving irregularly.

"We believe it's a clear breach of the Refugee Convention, and remember even people with very compelling claims will simply not have the opportunity to put these forward."

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said there was "absolutely nothing improper" about the legislation and that he is confident the Government would win any court action.

Ms Braverman, announcing the new Bill, promised that people who arrived in the UK illegally will be removed "within weeks" and receive a lifetime ban on claiming asylum.

Ms Braverman told MPs the Illegal Migration Bill will "stop the boats" which are bringing "tens of thousands" of people to the UK.

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, she said "there are 100 million people" who would qualify for asylum under the current law.

Read more: 1922 chairman Sir Graham Brady becomes latest senior Tory MP to announce they won't stand at next election

Read more: Hundreds attend vigil for three friends killed in Cardiff car crash as two survivors fight for life

She added: "Let's be clear - they are coming here.

"This is the crucial point of this Bill. They will not stop coming here until the world knows that if you enter Britain illegally you will be detained and swiftly removed.

"Removed back to your country if it is safe, or to a safe third country like Rwanda. And that is precisely what this Bill will do. That is how we will stop the boats."

'Let's be clear, they are coming here': Home Sec announces new migrant plans

Ms Braverman said people will be able to be detained for 28 days without bail or judicial review.

Only under-18s, those medically unfit to fly or at "real risk" if they are returned to the country they have left will be able to lodge an appeal to avoid being deported.

There will also be an annual cap on the number of refugees entering via safe routes as part of the bill.

Mr Sunak backed Ms Braverman's comments, saying: "I understand there will be debate about the toughness of these measures."

He went on to say: "All I can say is that we have tried it every other way and it has not worked.

"So I say again: my policy is very simple, it is this country—and your government—who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs."

He said the legislation is "tough", but "necessary" and "fair".

Andrew Marr's reaction to new Illegal Migration Bill

Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper branded the Bill a "con" and described the plans as "Groundhog Day" in the wake of criticism from campaigners who said the proposed policy would be unworkable.

But Ms Braverman said the need for reform is "obvious and urgent" as the asylum system now costs the British taxpayer more than £3 billion a year.

Mr Sunak will visit Dover and will set out the plan during a press conference.

It follows increasing pressure on the government to curb the number of migrants arriving in the UK via illegal routes.

It comes as desperate migrants continue to make their way across the Channel on small boats, despite Rishi Sunak announcing plans to ban them from returning or claiming citizenship under fresh laws.

It's understood ministers have received advice that the proposals tabled by the Home Secretary are lawful according to the Daily Mail, despite pushing the boundaries of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to the absolute limit.

If passed, the proposals tabled today will see migrants arriving in small boats stripped of their rights and banned from lodging human rights appeals.

According to government sources, most of those who arriving illegally will then only be able to appeal following their deportation.

A sources close to Mrs Braverman is said to have told the Daily Mail: "The British people have had enough. This Government is determined to stop the boats and ensure we have all the powers available to remove illegal migrants from the country."

Read more: Former Home Sec brands Sunak's illegal immigration bill an impractical 'Donald Trump playbook measure'

Another added: "This new duty to remove will ensure that the Home Secretary's power to remove migrants takes precedence in law and ensures asylum, human rights and modern slavery claims are blocked."

The only exemptions to the proposals are set to be children and the gravely ill, who will be permitted to stay in Britain while they bring legal challenges, Mrs Braverman is expected to say.

The proposals follow the news that around 40 migrants were brought into Dover by the RNLI on Monday - the first group to make the journey in over a week.

The government has vowed not to give up on its Rwanda policy - a proposal that would see 200 illegal immigrants deported to the African nation, despite no airline yet agreeing to take the detainees.