Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2021 Comments on Priti Patel’s Withdrawn French Invite

The comments made by Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Shadow Home Secretary, on 26 November 2021.

This is a humiliation for a Prime Minister and Home Secretary who have completely lost control of the situation in the Channel.

At the very moment when the Prime Minister needed to be a statesman, what we have seen is a grave error of judgement in putting this sensitive letter on Twitter – causing our government to be excluded from these vital talks. The French and British Governments must show leadership, sit down together and urgently find solutions. This continued blame game is not getting us anywhere.

Labour would be going beyond just coastal patrols to engage in proper joint law enforcement, working with the French authorities and other countries to tackle these vile people smuggling gangs upstream, as well as seeking safe and legal routes.