‘Brexit has morphed into asylum seekers being the external enemy’ says Liz Saville Roberts
Siân Williams
After one of the most tumultuous years in UK politics in modern times, during which we saw the Westminster Government produce three prime ministers, four chancellors and a catastrophic mini-Budget, it’s difficult to predict with any certainty what the next 12 months might have in store.
Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts however, is convinced the demonisation of asylum seekers and reverberations of Brexit will continue to be major issues for Rishi Sunak’s government in 2023.
“We know full well there are no safe routes for asylum seekers coming to Britain. What is so heart breaking with this Conservative government is that Brexit has enabled them to keep their party together. Brexit has morphed into asylum seekers being the external enemy,” the MP who represents Dwyfor Meirionnydd in Westminster told Nation.Cymru.
Ms Saville Roberts says she believes that what is driving Tory policy currently is the need to keep the Daily Mail and its readers happy, and because they perceive Nigel Farage, once more as a threat to their political base.
In the cold light of day, she says: “It is quite possible that, amongst the people who want to come to Britain, there are people who could possibly fill those jobs we are unable to at the moment. Britain has an ageing population, but no! what we get is a knee jerk reaction and a response of fear by this government.”
On 19 December, London’s Supreme Court ruled that Britain’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful. The policy to send tens of thousands of people who arrive in Britain in small boats – 4,000 miles away to Rwanda – has been denounced by rights groups.
“The fact that this is lawful is because this government can pass any law it wants with a hefty majority of over 70 (MPs). They can pass anything they want as long as it pleases their own members.”
Safe routes
She fears that in 2023, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, will attempt to send at least one flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda in central Africa.
“But as part of the Supreme Court ruling, every individual who is sent out (of Britain) has the right to question why that is. It’s not going to be easy for the government, but they’ll just blame one of their enemies within – the lefty lawyers and the judiciary.”
What is needed are safe routes in France for asylum seekers said Ms Saville Roberts.
“I don’t see how Suella Braverman sees herself better (than the people smugglers) by flying people out of Britain to Rwanda – which has a poor human rights record. And (Shadow Home Secretary) Yvette Cooper says the same thing as Suella Braverman, just not in such an extreme way.”
Brexit
Ms Saville Roberts doesn’t expect the “curse” of Brexit to be lifted any time soon, and definitely not in 2023, she says.
“Our situation as regards inflation and fuel costs is so much worse than that of our neighbouring countries, for example, Ireland, and people will see this. Anyone who is selling stuff abroad, or who is importing stuff, will see the Brexit curse if you like on how much they have to pay.”
Any light at the end of the tunnel for 2023?
“As regards the main political parties no, because the Labour Party refuse to accept this. They’ve walked away from (Brexit) in order to please the red wall.
Strikes
There appears to be infighting between some Westminster Tories on the subject of industrial action, according to Mrs Saville Roberts.
“There are splits withing (government) emerging now over the strikes. Particularly over the nurse’s strike because they know the public are sympathetic to the nurse’s strike. Inflation is now at 10% which is far, far more than the nurse’s pay has risen.”
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One thing Liz, it you have a chance could you please look into fatalities due to police chases, 3 women have been killed in less than a week…All the best for the new year and keep up the good work…
Plaid having been banging the “Anti-Brexit” drum for 6 years, and they have gone backwards in the polls. Go figure they have ailienated over hals the Welsh Electorate.
Simpletons.
Surely You mean they’ve alienated the 900,000+ English born people who seek to supplant their culture over ours.
Dai is correct. The party that will bring Independence will campaign on looking after OUR people. Itsy bitsy interests will mean itsy bitsy votes.
Do be sensible. I know you can do it, because I did.
Im an English immigrant and vote Plaid.
That’s the most tolerable piece of virtue signaling I’ve seen for a long time! Croeso Charles.
The Plaid / Labour relationship.is not one of mutual respect .Constant criticism by Adam Price is not a recipe for longevity.If he wants to achieve his ambition of being elected the Leader of the Welsh Government he needs to step down from his soap box and concentrate on his constituents’ problems first and foremost.
They are the only party in Wales with a good Socialist plan. Whether you support Brexit or not.
And yet somehow it’s extreme when a Cymro Briton person objects to the free movement of English people coming to Wales. A proven people who have had a terrible impact on Wales and its culture. I find it hilariously disgusting that a man from Poland or India struggle to come to Wales should they want to, yet an Englishman has no trouble.
I don’t believe that Farage is, or ever has been, a threat to the tories. Farage is a life long tory, and so are all his pals and money-men who hijacked Alan Sked’s anti-federalist league alongside him, rebranded it as UKIP, pushed their anti-immigration agenda, and dragged the party over to the far right from it’s original centrist, socially liberal position. UKIP was always a tory Trojan horse, a vehicle for the anti-Euro lunatic fringe and the far right to force tory policy in the direction they wanted it to go in. It was no more a threat to the… Read more »
Biggest threat to the EU, is the EU itself, latest corruption tip of the iceberg.
For our small country, it should be; No Foreign Entanglements.
Yes, who needs them – we can do corruption so much better ourselves. Cash for honours, cash for lobbying, cash for Tory chums for useless PPE. Fraudulent expenses, jobs for gropers, parties during lockdown, the subversive ERG financed by the taxpayer. Clearly the EU has much to learn from us.
The Brexit Party standing aside in advance of the 2019 election, was acting as a teaser ram for the Tories.
Well said. The actions of the tories are inhumane to the people of the dis-united kingdom as well as people escaping oppression and war.
The Rwanda Plan must be voted out of existence