'Taking us for fools!' Shabana Mahmood accused of 'virtue signalling' as Reform councillor tears into asylum reforms

The Home Secretary unveiled sweeping asylum overhauls on Monday, with faster removals and a new appeals system to restore "order and control".

Speaking to GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope, Ms Mahmood said of the plans: "What I am offering is a genuine set of proposals that can fix the broken system that we have and retain public consent for us having an asylum system at all.

"That is the way that I think sensible, mainstream politicians should approach these issues, because we can see the problems they're causing in our communities, and it's our job to fix it."

Delivering her verdict on the plan, Ms Cunningham told GB News: "If you really look at the plans, she's basically saying that if you do arrive here illegally on a boat, we're going to reward you with a two-year, fully welcome, fully supported, all-inclusive stay. That's not a deterrent, that's an incentive.

"A guaranteed two-year stay for anyone who comes on a boat, it's an open invitation."

Dismissing the reforms as "virtue signalling", she added: "She says we'll only remove you once your country safe, you and I know that Afghanistan is not going to be safe in our lifetime, and they know it.

"They're not really coming for settlement, they're coming for arrival, entry as the main point, and they know that in two years they'll fight it under some other claim. For me, it's just a bit of virtue signalling."

As host Ben Leo argued that the Home Secretary is "doing something to enforce deportations", the Reform councillor disagreed: "Ben, I feel like they're taking us for fools.

"The three countries that she said that she would crack down on visas if they don't take returns, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Namibia, only a handful of people have arrived.

"Those are not the countries which we're worried about, there are other countries. She went for a soft target because if she goes for the hard target, she's going to fail."

Suggesting that Ms Mahmood should focus on a "returns deal with Pakistan" to deport those involved in Britain's grooming gangs, Ms Cunningham explained: "We have over 80 per cent success rate for people who claim asylum from Eritrea or Ethiopia.

"And then she said she wants to offer community sponsorship, to have communities more engaged. But that worries me because in places like Rotherham or Rochdale, those communities that protected the rapists, will they be able to offer community sponsorship?

"And so there's a lot of questions for me. I'd like to see actually her get a returns agreement with Pakistan, to deal with the rape gangs. But of course, she does have a political base to protect."

Criticising the reforms further, Ms Cunningham concluded: "She also said that she's not going to guarantee housing or financial support. Really, what are they going to do? Are they going to live on the streets? Are they going to become the council's problem? It's just not thought through.

"Reform wants illegal entry into this country to stop being decriminalised and to be treated as a crime. And if you enter this country illegally, you cannot claim asylum. It's what any serious country does."

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