Labour ‘too frightened’ to talk about immigration, says Hodge
A LABOUR grandee has accused the party of being ‘too frightened’ to talk about immigration.
Dame Margaret Hodge said politicians must highlight the contribution to society of new arrivals as well as showing that the country’s borders are under control by removing failed asylum seekers.
And she warned MPs must not ignore voter concerns about the issue, following low turnout and protest votes at last month’s general election.
Her comments carry weight in Labour as she defeated farRight British National Party leader Nick Griffin in her Barking constituency in 2010.
The new Government is so far taking a much softer approach than its Tory predecessor to illegal immigration, rebranding it ‘irregular migration’ and scrapping the Rwanda deportation scheme.
Dame Margaret, who stood down at the election after 30 years as an MP, told The Observer: ‘We’ve always been too frightened to talk about immigration. If you’re a politician, you have a voice. We need to use that voice to develop a new discourse.’
She went on: ‘It’s talking about why people are here, what they contribute, the richness they bring to society.
‘We also have to show we can control our borders. Those who aren’t legitimate asylum seekers, you send back as quickly as you can.
‘If somebody breaks the law here and ends up in prison, you send them back where you can.’
And she warned: ‘People who want to hang on to their seats next time have got to worry that turnout was low – and be worried that there was this protest vote. We ignore it at our peril.’