Tories in turmoil after deportation backlash

Last week Katie Lam, the shadow home office minister who is being talked up as a possible future leadership contender, told the Sunday Times that “a large number of people” should have their right to live in the UK revoked in order to make the country more “culturally coherent”.

Those who do not have the right to stay should “go home”, she argued. Conservative MPs have since complained about Lam to their party whips and Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said people living legally in the UK “do not need to ‘go home’. This is their home.” Rob Ford, professor of political science at Manchester University, said the policy proposal put Lam into “Idi Amin territory”.

Amid the brewing backlash, Kemi Badenoch’s spokesperson said last week that Lam’s comments were “broadly in line” with party policy, which would retroactively revoke indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from anyone who has claimed any form of state benefit or fallen below an annual income threshold of £38,700.

While the party says it is targeting 750,000 deportations, this policy would strip residency rights from potentially millions of people.

In recent days, however, the details appear to be in a state of flux. Asked to clarify whether IRL would be stripped from people who temporarily claim benefits, or pensioners, and what proportion of the population they estimated would be deported under the proposals, a Conservative spokesperson said: “Policy in this area is subject to an ongoing internal review.”

The spokesperson added: “The ILR revocation amendment from a few months ago has been updated by what was announced at party conference earlier this month. We said there that no foreign citizens, including those with ILR, should be eligible for any benefits or social housing. This helps address the issues around ensuring people who are not British citizens are not a drain on taxpayers.

“As we have also said before, it should be much harder and take longer to get ILR in the first place and the number of immigrants arriving should be substantially reduced by a hard annual visa cap, set by Parliament.

“Foreign citizens, including those with ILR, would all be deported if they commit an offence. Those here on a temporary work visa would not have it renewed and would be required to leave if they do not meet higher income thresholds.”

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