On 26 October, the French Government announced that the Calais Jungle had been cleared. The migrants who had previously been living at the camp have been entered into the French immigration and asylum system. Questions have been asked in recent days about the fate of unaccompanied children living in Calais. […]
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UK to resettle unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from Europe
The Prime Minister announced at Prime Minister’s Questions this week that the UK will resettle unaccompanied asylum seeking children from Europe. The Government’s focus remains on supporting countries most affected by the continuing migration crisis in the Middle East and North Africa where they think the UK can make the biggest difference and to […]
Read MoreA Parliamentary Question on the Immigration Bill
Last night, I was able to ask the Minister of State for the Home Office a Parliamentary Question during a debate on the Immigration Bill and the settling of migrants from conflict zones: Steve Baker: Share this contribution A few minutes ago, my right hon. Friend mentioned the actions of […]
Read MoreSyrian refugees and migrants
The UK is the second biggest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid to Syria, having already pledged £1 billion as well as some £60 million additional funding to help those still in the country. Since the crisis began nearly 5000 Syrians and their dependents have been granted asylum through normal procedures, […]
Read MoreAnswers to the key questions on Syria
Online and in the comments on my last article, members of the public are raising legitimate questions which were, I think, answered in last night’s debate. To read the media, one would think we had voted for a general war: we did not. The motion, as I reported, was tightly […]
Read MoreWhy I am supporting the extension of military action against ISIL/Daesh to Syria
In a previous article, I said I would decide whether to support the Government in extending military action against ISIL/Daesh into Syria once I had seen the motion. The motion is here and it is as follows (layout and emphasis my own): That this House notes that ISIL poses a direct […]
Read MoreSyria: The Prime Minister’s response the Foreign Affairs Select Committee
Last night on Wycombe Sound, I promised to make available the Prime Minister’s response to the Foreign Affairs Committee’s inquiry on Syria. The inquiry produced the report The extension of offensive British military operations to Syria (PDF). It concluded: In the face of a humanitarian and security catastrophe, there is a powerful sense […]
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The attacks on Paris and potential action in Syria
The atrocity in Paris last weekend has horrified people across the globe. It is clear this barbaric attack has underlined all decent people’s rejection of terror and violence and reaffirmed their commitment to live in an open and free society. It has reinforced everyone’s intolerance of violence and extremism. The freedoms we […]
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Syria vote – update
I’m grateful to all the constituents who have written to me since the vote to approve in principle military action in Syria, in which I voted against. An overwhelming majority of correspondents have approved of that decision, just as they have also condemned the use of chemical weapons. We all want […]
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Are these events another stage in the death of neo-conservatism? I hope so
There is in centre-right political parties a strand of thought known as “neo-conservatism”. Like socialists, neo-conservatives talk about freedom but believe in power, not liberty under law. We have seen their influence in the words and actions of the past few days. Wikipedia provides a summary: Today’s neo-conservatives unite around three […]
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