My Question during the statement on Covid protections at the UK Border

Sir John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con): I congratulate my Right Honourable Friend on the what she has been doing. Will she strengthen the law against people trafficking which remains a worrying danger and can she ensure the necessary travel controls do not stop essential work travel?

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel): My Right Honourable Friend is absolutely right. First of all, in terms of people trafficking, he has been assiduous on this. He has heard me a number of times in terms of the measures that we are bringing forward in terms of legislation and plans around tackling people trafficking and the smugglers. We have some good reports on that in terms of the some of the criminal penalties and sanctions that have been levelled against individuals.

Secondly, he is absolutely right in terms of fines we are putting in place and the exemptions that are required around key areas such as goods in particular coming into the country.

28 Comments

  1. John Hatfield
    January 26, 2021

    I note that Ms. Patel uses the present instead of the past tense. So nothing has yet been achieved in this regard.
    Actions not words please Ms. Patel.

    1. MiC
      January 27, 2021

      The proposal is to quarantine those coming from areas with *higher* general infection rates than the UK.

      Since the UK’s is one of the, if not the highest in the world, that will mean almost no one from anywhere.

      It will therefore cost little, but play well to many Tory voters’ uninformed but anti-foreigner mentality.

      That is the reason for this, I think. It will have no material bearing on public health here.

      1. a-tracy
        January 28, 2021

        MiC isn’t this what you were crying out for though, closed borders no travellers just like Australia and NZ whenever that is cut then infection rates stop surely. The French closed the border for Brits on 23rd December and didn’t reopen them, other than for Kate Moss (whose work is obviously considered essential), lorry drivers most of whom are from the EU at Dover, and medical professionals.

  2. Peter
    January 26, 2021

    She will not stop illegals coming over in boats or kick them out when they are apprehended.

    She has lost credibility.

  3. Grey Friar
    January 26, 2021

    I suspect the exemptions on goods coming into the country will be small comfort to those such as Welsh farmers, Scottish fishermen and English cheesemakers for whom this calamity of a Brexit means no exemption on huge red tape on goods going out of the country

    1. a-tracy
      January 28, 2021

      It will be a comfort to them when they see their local sales rise because Brits are waking up to this lopsided agreement and will just leave the imported products in the shops unless it gets sorted fairly.

  4. MiC
    January 26, 2021

    Given the egregious rates of infection in the UK, it is the rest of the world which needs protection from British travellers, rather than vice-versa.

    1. Zorro
      January 27, 2021

      Strange isn’t it that so many people still want to come to ‘Plague Island’ MiC, Why don’t they want to stay and settle in the EU utopia and perhaps attract any family in the UK already to come over and stay with them in the EU. Come on MiC tell us, you know that you want to….

      Zorro

    2. Ian Wragg
      January 27, 2021

      For the first time today the Telegraph has exposed the lie that the UK is the worst for deaths.
      When extrapolated to deaths per million of population we are well down and the USA is below us.
      We all know the figures are inflated to just the lockdown.

    3. a-tracy
      January 28, 2021

      MIC – You’re taking the Mic, we’re not travelling are we, we’re banned from travelling and as for France, they were testing less and still had more positive covid cases than we did 17% more. There is lots of false statistical reporting going on and it will come out.

  5. London Nick
    January 26, 2021

    I am genuinely bemused as to why you would want to congratulate the home secretary who has done NOTHING to effectively stop the worst sea invasion of Britain since 1066.

    Whenever a boatload of illegal immigrants is detected in the Channel they are simply escorted to Britain. Priti Useless Patel is overseeing a taxiing service. Why are the boats not stoppped and forced, or towed, back into French waters? We don’t want them, so why are we allowing them through? This is a complete failure and it is entirely the fault of the home secretary.

    As for those illegal immigrants who arrive here and claim asylum, why are they not all immediately refused and deported? ALL asylum applicants are BOGUS, as the UK is NOT the NEAREST safe country to ANY of them. They are not therefore coming here principally for safety, and should be rejected WITHOUT right of appeal. Of course, this would require a change in the law, but what the hell is the point of an 80 majority in the Commons if not to change the law?

    Priti Useless Patel talks a lot but does NOTHING. The only thing I would congratulate her for would be her resignation.

    1. Zorro
      January 27, 2021

      She’s good at getting the Police to fine serious organised criminals who dare to not wear masks when shopping – good old Most Feared Security Secretary Prit Pat El.

      Zorro

    2. Fred H
      January 27, 2021

      so far she has been a non-event.

  6. Hope
    January 26, 2021

    I saw Q and A. Not sure why you are congratulating her after such a dire performance or presiding over the worst historic immigration figures in History particularly asylum. Record boat people last year, record asylum, record failure to deport! Especially this week when people were convicted of killing thirty nine in a back of a lorry. Obviously the trade continues at pace.

    Her boat man has not achieved anything, nor has she explained why she wasted twenty eight million of taxpayers money given to France achieved.

    Overall a total waste of your and her time and our money I suggest. If it was a warm fuzzy to,boost her morale then it shows what trouble we are in as country.

  7. Mark B
    January 26, 2021

    Good afternoon.

    Well by not providing a taxi service when they get into the UK part of the English Channel after the French have escorted them here might help.

  8. hefner
    January 26, 2021

    ‘In terms of’ clarity in dealing with Sir John’s questions the Home Secretary doesn’t sound particularly keen on providing any answer.
    Will the law be strengthened?
    Will the necessary travel controls be an impediment to essential work travel?

    I’ll let Sir John decipher for us these Pythian answers.

  9. beresford
    January 26, 2021

    What exactly has Priti Patel been doing to merit congratulation, apart from appointing a ‘Channel Threat Commander’ whose priority is the safe passage of the migrants? The smugglers are not pressing the migrants, they willingly come. And what about the limp-wristed response once they arrive? On another site a correspondent described how illegal immigrants to Russia rapidly find themselves on a plane back out. If they refuse to divulge their home country they are simply bundled into a group going elsewhere, at which point they usually back down in order to avoid being shipped there.

  10. acorn
    January 26, 2021

    I, a leaver converted to remainer, understand that you are desperately trying to divert attention away from your ERG 62 Brexit ideological disaster, by blaming everything and its mate on the virus. There is a strong chance you will actually get away with it. Fortunately, you, me, and the rest of the top five percent of the UK’s income distribution, will profit from this forth decade of Conservative Neoliberalism. Nice one, thankyou.

  11. alan jutson
    January 26, 2021

    A shame she did not get her wish a year ago, but we are where we are, let us not make the same mistakes as last time.

  12. alan jutson
    January 26, 2021

    Off topic, sorry to mention it again, but save my name still not working (for me at least) even after registering to receive your e mail updates. (thought that may help)

    If I tick save my name then post a comment, my comment completely disappears and I have no idea if it will be posted

    If I do not click save my name, my comment gets posted, and I can see it is held in moderation, and can still read it. so I know it will get posted.

    Aware you have more important things to do JR , so I will assume the problem will eventually be resolved.

    Please note I have not changed any of my settings at this end.

    1. Narrow Shoulders
      January 26, 2021

      Try downloading a different browser Alan.
      It is not the site as it works for others so it must be the settings in your browser.

      I use Edge and Samsung Internet for Adroit which did refuse to retain the cookies or a while a year ago and then got fixed in an update.

      Clear your cookies from your existing browser or change browsers.

  13. London Nick
    January 26, 2021

    How about ‘congratulating’ Priti Useless Patel over the latest Home Office madness: around 100 bogus asylum-seekers have been taken from the army camp in Folkestone where they were being housed and put into hotels, so they can ‘self-isolate’, due to a Covid19 outbreak at the camp. Given that the barracks are actually the best place to isolate all the illegal immigrants so they cannot affect the British people, putting these immigrants up in hotels is not only unnecessary in practical terms but a gross waste of public money. As for those whining that the migrants in the camp were at risk of catching Covid19, the normal response would be: “I don’t care”. They were not invited here, they are not welcome here, and we should not waste any money on them while they are here.

    1. Hope
      January 27, 2021

      They are criminals! They have entered the country illegally. Useless, seems pretty indifferent to her appalling record.

      The only thing she remained resolute on was not voting for May’s deal. Sadly, a total disappointment in office and Nothing achieved. I am lost what JR congratulated her for.

  14. Fedupsoutherner
    January 26, 2021

    I’m fed up hearing what Priti is going to do. She’s done a big fat nothing. She’s a waste of space. Every time she opens her mouth a load of rubish comes out. The woman and indeed the party are a waste of time.

    1. Zorro
      January 27, 2021

      Most of is unintelligible anyway, at least, it makes little sense to me.

      Zorro

  15. Your comment is awaiting moderation
    January 26, 2021

    Priti Patel talks a good game but falls short on delivery.

  16. Ian
    January 27, 2021

    Well Sir John, reading all these letters, We think the Remainers have one.
    Let’s face it we were never going to win , the Government are mostly
    Remainers we have not left, we still have the EU pulling the strings.
    WTO is the only way out, there heart was never in the Leave camp, otherwise we would gone WTO years ago
    This will not be forgotten by the people, the shear Arrogance of this Government takes your breath away

    1. MiC
      January 27, 2021

      What you want is akin to imagining the Vatican’s wanting to leave Italy.

      As Napoleon said, “geography is destiny”.

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