Conservative MP Katie Lam has sparked controversy after suggesting that large numbers of legally settled families should be deported to make the UK more 'culturally coherent'. Lam, a Home Office shadow minister and party whip, made the remarks in an interview with the Sunday Times, drawing widespread condemnation.
Lam stated that many people who entered the UK legally should not have been allowed to do so, and that they would 'need to go home'. She argued that this would leave a 'mostly but not entirely culturally coherent group of people' in the country. Lam is considered a rising star within the Conservative Party and previously served as a special adviser to Boris Johnson.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has written to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, urging her to condemn the comments. Davey described Lam's suggestion as 'deeply concerning and unpatriotic', emphasising that those who came legally and played by the rules should not be told to go home. He questioned whether Lam's position reflects official Conservative policy.
The Liberal Democrats have also demanded clarity on what Lam meant by a 'culturally coherent' group and how such a policy would be implemented. The stance mirrors that of Reform UK, which proposes scrapping indefinite leave to remain and requiring migrants to reapply for five-year visas. Labour also plans to reform indefinite leave to remain, making it available only after ten years and proof of contribution to society.
