Priti Patel has sparked a massive row last night by claiming migrants were crossing the Channel to escape ‘racist’ France asthey fear if they stay they will be tortured.
The Home Secretary is said to have made the remarks in a private meeting with Tory MPs which have angered French politicians. One said in response: ‘Madam Patel is not a politician who does much thinking.’
Tory MPs taking part in the Zoom conference call with Ms Patel also said she claimed to have been frustrated in her efforts to crack down on the Channel migrant crisis by No 10 but both sides denied that last night.
The private web chat with the Home Secretary comes as the Tory Government comes under significant pressure for its handling of the Channel Migrant Crisis. One MP claimed Patel had told them: ‘France is a racist country. They would rather come to England.’
Last night, Government sources strongly denied that, insisting that the Home Secretary had only been passing on what migrants had been saying about France.
One stressed: ‘Priti made clear these were migrants’ views – not hers’, adding that the Home Secretary thought claims of possible torture if they returned to France were nonsense, pushed by activist lawyers.
An MP from France’s opposition Republicans party responded to this: ‘Madam Patel has caused a lot of upset already with absurd and untrue claims about our forces not stopping immigrant boats. Wherever these latest claims about racism came from, Madam Patel should not be spreading them in such a callous manner.’
A politician from President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling LREM party said: ‘Hateful claims are not a healthy part of politics, but this woman seems to spread them all the time.’
Lead Correspondent | David Clews is the Lead Correspondent for UNN, with over 20 years of political/campaigning experience and a wealth of social media and communication skills David gets to the heart of what is really important to the real people of the UK.
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