Shabana Mahmood, the new shadow justice secretary, has urged Labour not to shy away from addressing concerns about high immigration. She criticized her party for being previously hesitant to discuss the impact that high numbers can have on the NHS and housing. However, she strongly criticized Home Secretary Suella Braverman for her comments about a migration "hurricane" hitting Britain. In her first interview as shadow justice secretary, Mahmood also called on Red Wall voters who abandoned the party in 2019 to reconsider their stance.
Labour Should Not Be "Queasy" about Immigration Concerns
Mahmood emphasized that the Left must not be afraid to discuss the complexities and difficulties surrounding the immigration debate. She believes it is important not to surrender a legitimate public concern. Labour now feels comfortable addressing these concerns, but Mahmood did not explicitly state whether she believes immigration numbers should be reduced. Net migration to the UK currently stands at 606,000, according to the office for National Statistics.
Home Secretary's Comments Labeled "Inflammatory" and "Divisive"
Mahmood strongly criticized Home Secretary Suella Braverman's warnings of a migration "hurricane" at the recent Tory party conference. She accused Braverman of using deliberately inflammatory and divisive language, claiming that the numbers suggested were unrealistic and designed to scare people. Mahmood questioned whether the comments were actively racist or simply dog whistle politics.
Labour: Defender of Law and Order
Attempting to claim the law and order agenda, Mahmood asserted that the Labour Party is the party of law and order. She argued that the criminal justice system has been severely compromised and that people have lost confidence in the police, especially in the wake of high-profile cases such as the murder of Sarah Everard.
Controversial Letter: Deporting Foreign Criminals
Mahmood faced criticism over a controversial letter she signed in 2020 expressing "grave concern" over plans to deport 50 foreign criminals to Jamaica. Following the letter, some of these individuals continued to commit crimes in Britain. Mahmood stated that the letter called for the completion of the Windrush Lessons Learned review to ensure that foreign offenders are properly identified and deported, while not deporting individuals who are effectively citizens of the country.
