May blames Labour MP Byrne for starting ‘hostile’ immigration policy

BIRMINGHAM MP Liam Byrne has hit back at Prime Minister Theresa May after she tried to blame him for the “hostile environment” policy linked to the Windrush scandal.

He said the Prime Minister will “try anything” to avoid taking the blame for the unfair treatment of some British people who arrived here from Commonwealth countries.

The Prime Minister attacked Mr Byrne, Labour MP for Hodge Hill, as she answered questions in the House of Commons. She pointed out that Mr Byrne (pictured) had announced plans to create a “hostile environment” for illegal immigrants, when he was the immigration minister in a Labour government in 2007.

The scandal Windrush involves British people who are here in this country legally, who have in some cases been denied health treatment, lost their jobs or been threatened with deportation. But Mrs May pointed out that Labour had also talked about creating a hostile environment. She said: “What we’re proposing here will, I think, flush illegal migrants out, we are trying to create a much more hostile environment in this country if you are here illegally’. Those are not my words. They are the words of the Member for Hodge Hill when he was Labour immigration minister.” She meant Mr Byrne, who is currently Labour’s shadow minister for Digital.

The Prime Minister said: “And the Labour leader ought to know about this because the Member for Hodge Hill sits on his frontbench.”

Mr Byrne said: “Mrs May frankly will now try anything and blame anyone to avoid carrying the can for her appalling policy of actually deporting British citizens.

“In better days, ministers would resign for a failing like that.”

In May 2007, when Tony Blair was Prime Minister, Mr Byrne was the Minister for Immigration and announced plans to force all job seekers to show employers their birth certificate or passport.

Bosses who failed to report a worker they suspected was illegal were to be hit with fines.

Unveiling the proposals, Mr Byrne said: “We are trying to create a much more hostile environment in this country if you are here illegally.”