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Kinnock demands answers over Bibby Stockholm evacuation

12 Aug 2023 2 minute read
Stephen Kinnock. Photo Victoria Jones/PA Wire

Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock has written to his opposite number demanding answers to a series of questions about the “extremely troubling matter” of the Bibby Stockholm evacuation.

The Aberavon MP has asked Robert Jenrick whether the Home Office knew about the risk of Legionella bacteria being present before migrants were moved on to the barge docked in Dorse and whether every person who boarded has since had a health check.

“This whole sorry affair is yet another shambolic example of the chaos, incompetence and confusion that have come to define the way in which this Government is dealing with the asylum crisis that it has created,” he wrote .

“Indeed, even the Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party has now admitted that the asylum system has ‘failed’ due to 13 years of neglect and failure,” Mr Kinnock said in a letter to the immigration minister posted on Twitter.

“Why should the British public trust you to deal effectively with this mess when every measure you announce either fails to deliver, never gets off the ground, or just makes everything worse?”

Incompetence

Senior Conservative MP David Davis said the Bibby Stockholm evacuation has revealed the “startling incompetence of the Home Office itself”.

The former Brexit secretary said even without the emergence of Legionella bacteria, the barge accommodation would not serve as a solution to the Channel crossings.

He told BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme: “The primary thing that’s been revealed has been the startling incompetence of the Home Office itself.

“Rather famously many years ago, John Reid, when he took over as home secretary, talked about it being not fit for purpose, and I’m afraid you’re seeing that here.

“It’s really, really hard to understand how, at all layers, this could not be caught early”.

Mr Davis added: “Even working properly, the Bibby barge would only take effectively one day’s arrivals. So it’s not a solution to the problem and all of this is going to go on until the Home Office is able to process these arrivals more quickly.”


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago

The Home Office needs the ‘Crooked House’ treatment, reduce it to rubble and build a new one fit for purpose…

Jeff
Jeff
1 year ago

All eyes on this debacle miss some interesting figures. (Appalling figure for those suffering this imbecilic response)
That is 340+ barges required for the backlog. UK Government cannot get one to work and the daily running costs and hire are eye watering.
Who is earning from this.

Windy
Windy
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeff

Does the word Bobby in the name of the barge means it is associated with the waste disposal firm of the same name?
Have the crew involved in sailing this thing to its present mooring also been affected?
If the contamination is present in the water or air conditioning system, how wasn’t this checked beforehand, and if it was checked it doesn’t give you a lot of confidence in any future maintenance program

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
1 year ago

But Kinnock has said if Labour get into power, they will continue to use the barges, so I guess if you’re a working class racist you won’t have to vote tory at the next GE

Owain Morgan
Owain Morgan
1 year ago

The only end to this mess is a UK General Election and that won’t happen until next year or January 2025 🙄

The original mark
The original mark
1 year ago
Reply to  Owain Morgan

Goes to show just how powerless the electorate truly are

Malcolm Jones
Malcolm Jones
1 year ago

It’s a pity he doesn’t start standing up for Wales

A.Redman
A.Redman
1 year ago

Is the same MO that broke lockdown rules? What is his solution to the ever increasing numbers of undocumented immigrants crossing the channel. Wasn’t it the previous leader of Labour that started the open door policy?

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