A Conservative MP and rising star within the party has faced widespread condemnation after suggesting that large numbers of legally settled families should be deported to ensure the UK is 'culturally coherent'. Katie Lam, a Home Office shadow minister and party whip, made the remarks in an interview with the Sunday Times.
Lam argued that many people who came to the UK legally should not have been allowed to do so, and that they 'will also need to go home'. She stated that this would leave 'a mostly but not entirely culturally coherent group of people'. The comments have drawn sharp criticism from political opponents and raised questions about the Conservative Party's stance on immigration.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey wrote to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, calling the remarks 'deeply concerning and unpatriotic'. He emphasised that people who have come to the UK legally, played by the rules, and made it their home should not be told to 'go home'. Davey urged Badenoch to clarify whether Lam's views reflect official party policy.
The Liberal Democrats also demanded specifics on what Lam meant by 'culturally coherent' and how such a policy would be implemented. The position echoes that of Reform UK, which has proposed scrapping indefinite leave to remain and requiring migrants to reapply for five-year visas. Labour has also announced plans to reform indefinite leave to remain, but with a focus on contribution to society.
