THE director of the Labour Together think tank and ally of Keir Starmer has suggested that smuggler gangs should be put on a barge and sent to Scotland.
Speaking to LBC, Josh Simons was critical of the UK Government’s Rwanda plan and spoke about his own solution for the “small boats crisis”.
It comes after a key parliamentary committee said the government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda is “fundamentally incompatible” with the UK’s human rights safeguards.
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Simons said: “My main concern with Rwanda is not actually the human rights implications of it and the focus of this report.
“My main concern is that it’s a complete waste of money and it won’t work. It won’t stop the boats.
“That was the thing that Rishi [Sunak] said. Judge me by ‘stop the boats,’ he’s failed. He keeps failing and meanwhile he’s spending £8 million a day and so far £400m quid.
'Why don't you put the smuggler gangs on the barge and ship it to Scotland for all I care?'
— LBC (@LBC) February 12, 2024
Criticising the government's Rwanda plan, @joshsimonstweet has a solution for the 'small boats crisis' if Labour win the next election.
@IainDale pic.twitter.com/rZrGJmaoSB
“So my problem with Rwanda is it won’t work.”
Simons then went on to say that this begged the question of what the solution to the issues facing the Government were.
“I think that while the Conservatives say that they are being tough on the borders and beefing up the policing and so on, I have seen no real evidence that that is in fact what they are doing, with the kind of commitment and clarity that they need to.
“I mean, you know, why don’t you send the smuggler gangs and put them on the barge that you know has been set aside for the asylum seekers and then, you know, ship the barge up to the north of Scotland, who cares?”
The comments were met with criticism on social media with journalist and National contributor Owen Jones commenting: “The fact he expresses no moral objection to deporting desperate people to Rwanda is one thing.
“The contemptuous way he talks about Scotland as though being sent there is some sort of gruesome punishment is another.
“These are the new masters of the Labour Party everyone!”
Elsewhere, broadcaster India Willoughby said: “You seem to be saying being in Scotland is a punishment, Josh. Tut tut."
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