GB News presenter Michelle Dewberry sighed and looked frustrated as broadcaster-turned-politician Matt Goodwin accused Labour MP Barry Gardiner of gaslighting the public in a row over the migrant crisis. The pair appeared on her show to discuss the hundreds of migrants that arrived in Gosport over the weekend.
Protests and arrests in Gosport
Anti-migrant protesters clashed with police in Hampshire on Sunday, October 4, after a migrant boat containing up to 149 people arrived in Gosport. Police confirmed six people were arrested.
Gardiner was adamant reports had been overstated, telling them: "I always defend people's right to peaceful protest, and I understand that the protests last night in Gosport were, by and large, they were peaceful. There was only a handful of people who were arrested for either attacking the police or for criminal damage. The migrants were, of course, not being housed in Gosport."
He added: "In fact, they were being taken to Kent for security and biometric checks." He claimed the state was trying to "facilitate them" while creating "minimum disruption to the local people of Gosport."
Channel crossing statistics disputed
Gardiner continued insisting channel crossings are actually down, stating: "The measures that the government is taking, that it has put in place already, have reduced the number from just over 34,000 to just under 19 and a half thousand."
Goodwin couldn't disguise his incredulousness at the remarks. "Those are the statistics of the small boat crossings. Can we get back to reality for a minute...The Labour Party is now expanding safe and legal routes from Afghanistan and Syria."
"You're gaslighting people watching this show," he fumed. "You're expanding safe and legal routes. Shabana Mahmood has just announced that."
Safe and legal routes plan
He was referring to the Home Secretary's plan to introduce new "capped, safe and legal routes" for refugees. Under the scheme, communities and some "trusted" universities will be allowed to sponsor refugees to come to the UK.
The plan has been inspired by a Canadian scheme that has settled 400,000 people in the country since 1979. A separate route allowing employers to sponsor refugees is also expected to open next year. Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp, posted on X that 75,000 illegal immigrants have entered the UK in the last two years.
ECHR and deportation debate
Goodwin insisted deportation was the only solution and the UK should leave the ECHR, leading Gardiner to turn the tables and accuse him of gaslighting in return.
He said: "You say [I'm] gaslighting the British people, [that's] exactly what you're doing because you're saying all we need to do is to stop signing up to this convention. So we leave the ECHR. Leave the ECHR, and that means we can do what we like. We can't because other countries then say, 'I'm sorry, we're not taking them.' In fact, the biggest block to getting those people returned is actually the fact that we've left the EU. We used to be able to do that. We used to have the facility to do that in the EU. We don't any longer."
