TORY leader Kemi Badenoch has clarified that her party has no intention of deporting people who are legally settled in the UK, following a wave of confusion sparked by comments from fellow MP Katie Lam.
Speaking to reporters in London after a policy speech, Badenoch said Lam had spoken “imprecisely” when she suggested that many legally settled families could be sent home under a future Tory government, reported the Guardian.
Earlier this month, Lam – who serves as a shadow Home Office minister – claimed that the party planned to revoke indefinite leave to remain (ILR) status and that people would “go home” to ensure the UK was “culturally coherent”.
Her comments triggered outrage within her own party, with several Tory MPs lodging complaints with the whips’ office.
The remarks also renewed scrutiny of a draft bill proposed in May, which suggested that individuals could lose ILR if they or their dependants claimed benefits or earned less than £38,700 a year.
Initially, a spokesperson for Badenoch said Lam’s comments were “broadly in line” with party policy. However, the Conservatives later said that their position on ILR had changed, though they declined to clarify whether any new rules would apply retrospectively.
On Thursday (30), Badenoch ended the uncertainty. “No, we’re not. We’re not being retrospective,” she said. “The only way someone could lose their ILR is if they commit a crime – and that’s already the law. We have a principle: we don’t believe in making things retrospective.”
She added that the party’s planned withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) would allow the government to make future changes to benefits and immigration rules. “What we are trying to do is make sure all our policies are coherent and reflect changes like leaving the ECHR,” Badenoch said.
Clarifying Lam’s earlier statement, she said: “She just stated it imprecisely.”
The controversy has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Max Wilkinson, the Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesperson, said: “Katie Lam’s divisive comments will have caused real distress to families worried about being torn apart. Kemi Badenoch should remove her from the Conservative front bench to show this is not official party policy.”
Labour also weighed in, writing to Badenoch to ask how the proposed ILR rules would work – particularly whether benefits such as maternity pay would be affected.
Badenoch dismissed that concern, saying: “Maternity leave is not a benefit. It’s an entitlement. It’s pay. What we have said is that people who come to our country should be contributors. They shouldn’t need to go on benefits.”
Lam’s earlier claim that ILR could be revoked for large numbers of people was condemned across the political spectrum.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said her words showed “how far the Conservative party has sunk”, while several Tory MPs privately criticised her remarks for fuelling confusion and anxiety among migrant families.
