Gainsborough’s long-established MP, Sir Edward Leigh, has encouraged the Conservative Party to adopt a more robust stance towards immigration, similar to that of Reform UK. He voiced his opinion after what he termed as ‘devastating’ results in the local elections. The Reform party’s Dame Andrea Jenkyns became the first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, with the party also wrestling control of Lincolnshire County Council from the Conservatives. Despite sharing many of Reform’s policies, Sir Edward rejected the notion of changing his political affiliation.
During a recent interview on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, he articulated his discussions with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch about adopting stricter immigration policies. Sir Edward sharply criticised the party’s inability to stem the tide of crossings in the Channel. He also expressed concerns over the volume of legal migration taking place under the watch of the Conservative government, especially its impact on the health service. Despite recent statistics showing a decrease in net migration from 906,000 to 728,000, Sir Edward believes his party is ‘justifiably being punished’ for previous decisions.
Dame Andrea proposed relocating migrants to tented accommodation rather than hotels, something that Sir Edward disagreed with, underscoring compassion for individuals forced to escape from terrible circumstances. The Conservative party are currently debating measures such as implementing a migration cap and making residency conditions longer for those seeking indefinite leave, along with the potential re-evaluation of the Human Rights Act’s contribution towards immigration laws.
Sir Edward also offered his backing for the exploration of changes to NHS funding, indicating a preference for a French-style social insurance system as opposed to the current structure. Despite echoing the calls for change, he insists on remaining steadfast in his allegiance to the Conservative Party, hoping to shape its approach on pressing matters such as immigration.
This narrative has been adapted by The Lincoln Post from the original report on bbc.com.
