STEPHEN Flynn and Yvette Cooper clashed with one another during a heated debate on migration on Thursday night’s Question Time.
During the show, the question was put to the shadow home secretary as to how Labour would prevent asylum seekers dying in boat crossings in the Channel.
Specifically, Cooper (below) was asked about seven-year-old Sara, who was crushed to death on a small boat last month after her family were told they would be deported to Iraq after spending years in Europe.
A BBC investigation released on Thursday reported that the broadcaster had tracked down the smuggler behind the crossing.
The senior Labour figure was pressed on what Labour would do about this and whether the party would commit to providing more safe and legal routes to prevent such tragedies from happening in future.
“There will always be different kinds of processes to manage asylum systems and resettlements,” Cooper said.
Pressed once again on a commitment to safe and legal routes, Cooper told the show’s host Fiona Bruce: “There always will be both safe routes but there also will always have to be limits and constraints on them.
READ MORE: Question Time: Stephen Flynn clashes with Fiona Bruce on gambling
“We will continue to support things like the resettlement schemes and we believe they should be reformed because they’re not working.”
Cooper then asked Bruce to let her finish the point while Flynn could be heard in the background saying, “it’s a no”.
The comments come in the same week that Labour refused to rule out sending refugees back to the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan from which they escaped.
Flynn accused them of engaging in “populist dog whistle” and clashed once again with Cooper on the issue on Question Time.
She said: “I think unless you deal with the criminal gangs in the Channel, this is probably going to get worse…”
At this point, Flynn started to speak up and as Cooper hit out at him for interrupting, the SNP Westminster leader told her “you’ve had plenty time to talk there I’m sorry”.
He said: “You undermine the criminal gangs by providing safe and legal routes as Jessica (audience member) has outlined. That is the solution to this problem.
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar says Labour candidate's claim party 'helped Tories' was 'not true'
“You want to know what the issue is. The issue is that the Westminster consensus doesn’t work.”
Cooper continued to speak over Flynn and said it was important to bring criminal gangs to justice.
An audience member then told Cooper to answer the question “yes or no” and she said that changes to legal routes wouldn’t stop gangs from operating.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel