Fury over ‘dog-whistle’ remarks
DAVID Cameron last night stood by his comments that the crisis at Calais has been triggered by a ‘swarm’ of migrants amid a ferocious row with Labour.
A string of senior Labour politicians claimed they were outraged by the ‘dogwhistle’ remarks and demanded they be withdrawn.
But Tory MPs said the controversy over the use of a single word showed just how detached Labour had become from the concerns of ordinary voters. They also pointed out that Labour had done much to create the Calais crisis by creating the impression that Britain was a ‘soft touch’.
Mr Cameron spoke out early yesterday morning after another night of chaos at the Channel Tunnel, as hundreds of migrants tried to storm security fences.
He told ITV News: ‘I accept that, because you have got a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain because Britain has got jobs, it’s got a growing economy, it’s an incredible place to live. ‘But we need to protect our borders.’ Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman said Mr Cameron, who was speaking on an official visit to Vietnam, should remember he was talking about ‘people, not insects’.
Labour leadership favourite Jeremy Corbyn described Mr Cameron’s language as ‘inflammatory, incendiary and unbecoming of a Prime Minister’, and called for him to withdraw the comments.
He added: ‘The anti-foreigner rhetoric and vocabulary being used by the Prime Minister must be challenged head-on.’
Andy Burnham, the former leadership frontrunner, wrote on Twitter: ‘Confirms there’s no dog-whistle these Bullingdon Boys won’t blow.’
Asked if Mr Cameron regretted saying ‘swarm’, a No 10 spokesman said: ‘It was clear what he was talking about.’
Last night Tory MP Andrew Percy told the Mail: ‘While real people in Britain want the Government to act on this crisis, the best Labour can do is to criticise the Prime Minister for describing a situation that is blatantly true. It shows how far from ordinary people Labour have moved.’
Mr Cameron also came under attack from refugee groups, with the Refugee Council describing his remark as ‘awful, dehumanising language from a world leader’.
Ukip leader Nigel Farage also tried to distance himself from the word, suggesting it was part of an effort by Mr Cameron to appear ‘tough’ on immigration, and he wasn’t seeking to ‘use language like that’.
But only an hour later, he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘A couple of times I’ve been stuck on the motorway surrounded by swarms of potential migrants to Britain.’