Many constituents have contacted me, deeply concerned about large-scale accommodation being imposed on communities without consultation— and without thought for the strain on local services or public safety.
These tensions are only being heightened by the government’s failure to get a grip on illegal migration.
Despite the Labour leader’s pre-election pledge to “smash the gangs”, small boat crossings are now at record levels.
Yes, successive governments, including my own party’s, must share the blame for allowing the situation to spiral.
But Labour’s choice to tear up the Rwanda deterrent has made the crisis far worse.
That deterrent was clear: anyone arriving illegally would have either been returned to their home country, or if that wasn’t safe, to Rwanda to have their claim processed there.
The first flight was ready for July 2024.
Instead, Labour cancelled the policy on day one.
The result?
More than 52,000 people have already crossed the Channel in 2025.
And it’s not just Labour that’s floundering on this issue.
Reform UK’s recent proposals looked like a rehash of the Conservative Party’s Deportation Bill, mixed with confusion— including a short-lived suggestion to deport unaccompanied children before backtracking.
This is a complex issue that needs to be properly thought through.
The Conservatives have laid out clear and workable proposals: automatic deportation for all illegal arrivals; disapplying the Human Rights Act in immigration cases; visa sanctions for countries refusing to take back their nationals; and mandatory scientific age checks for asylum seekers.
The party is also looking very carefully at whether withdrawing from the ECHR will strengthen our control over our borders and, if so, how this can be done and what consequential measures will be required.
This review is being conducted by Lord Wolfson who will be reporting in early October.
As well as small boat crossings, this government needs to look at the wider picture and get to grips with net migration.
The previous Conservative government brought in tough but fair measures such as stopping dependents from accompanying students, raising the salary threshold for family visas to £28,000, and tightening rules for work visas.
Those changes were working.
If the government is serious about “smashing the gangs”, it needs to stop with the empty slogans and come up with some serious policies.
Or borrow them from the Conservatives’ Deportation Bill.
