Labour’s leadership candidates have taken to the stage during the latest party debate to attempt to outflank one another and outflank the Prime Minister David Cameron on the European Migrant Crisis.
Jeremy Corbyn’s main thrust was that he didn’t believe that migrants were “illegal” even if they tried to enter European countries illegally. He cited the 1951 Geneva Convention, and claimed that those who were trying to enter Europe were doing so legitimately as they are “victims of war and environmental disasters”.
He said that the British government should “hold out the hand of humanity, support and friendship” and also called for “a UN response worldwide”.
Yvette Cooper, who recently claimed that 10,000 people could be accomodated by Britain in just one month doubled down on her statement, but refused to repeat the “one month” part after being taken to task by Sky News earlier today, after Breitbart London’s Editor-in-Chief highlighted how this could lead to 120,000 more people a year.
She said, “its welcome if the government have changed their decision” refering to briefings from 10 Downing Street that the British government is about to allow an extra 4,000 migrants into the United Kingdom.
“People across Britain are troubled by the images that we’ve seen… the heartbreaking images and pictures,” she said, alluding to the picture of the dead Syrian child that was plastered across the UK media today.
“They’re going to do more than this” she said, saying that the government taking 4,000 people wasn’t enough.
“I think they also need to do something to help those who are now spread across Europe… in Greece, 50,000 refugees arriving in the space of a month…” she remarked, implying that she would indeed flood Britain with tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of migrants.
“It is a moral obligation… we absolutely cannot turn our backs on this crisis,” she concluded.
Andy Burnham said that he would “show compassion and leadership” and demand that Europe’s top ministers should be meeting in Brussels tomorrow, a call that was echoed by Liz Kendall.
Kendall said: “What the government has proposed is nowhere near enough… my gut instinct… we should be taking something in the tens of thousands”.
“I’ve been ashamed of the British government,” she added, attempting to turn the issue into a party political point. “David Cameron has appeared both heartless and powerless on the refugee crisis.”
“If you’re worried about the political space, don’t,” she said to him over the airwaves. “We will back you if you take the right decisions. There is a willingness out there and i think David Cameron is behind public opinion.”
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