No go zone claim is ‘silly’

Peterborough MP hits out at Hungarian leaflet

Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson has hit out at a leaflet issued by the Hungarian government describing Peterborough as a ‘no go zone.’ The pamphlet - issued to millions of households as part of a referendum on EU migrant quotas - claims that there are several hundred no-go zones in European cities where the authorities are unable to maintain control.

But Mr Jackson said the claim was ‘silly.’

The supposed zones are not listed, but a map marks London out with a “no-go” sign, surrounded by five oth- ers which appear to relate to locations including Peterborough.

The leaf let warns: “The socalled ‘no-go’ zones are areas of cities that the authorities are unable to keep under their control. Here the recipient society’s written or unwritten norms do not apply.”

Challenged over the claims, Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto told BBC2’s Newsnight: “Webased this information on open, official reports given by the police of the respective countries and from the news.”

Mr Jackson, who is also Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, said: “People are and have been for many years concerned about uncontrolled migration in the city that’s for sure andthat’s why they voted to leave the EU so we can once again decide for ourselves who comes to or leaves the UK.

“However, the idea of “no go” areas is silly, it’s simply untrue and the Hungarian minister has go this facts wrong I’m afraid. I would be the first to raise the issue very robustly if it were true but it isn’t.”

Councillor John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council, said invited the minister to visit the city and said: “The comments made by the Hungarian minister are illfounded and inaccurate and bear no resemblance to life in our city. It’s a great shame that people who have never visited Peterborough choose to talk us down in this way in order to make a political point.”