With land enough to house many an asylum seeker, the MP for South Dorset, Richard Drax today secured an adjournment debate on the subject of the the accommodation of asylum seekers in South Dorset.
Of course, his concern was not for safe routes, fixing the broken system – it was to ratchet up fears of having young men housed, tightly packed on a barge situated in Portland Port. What would happen if trouble started, what would happen if these young men got out and failed to return, what’s about sensitive MOD infrastructure there?
Supported by his neighbouring MP, Chris Loder, the sought assurances that they would see the risk assessments. Despite having tried to meet minister and home office officials, these had not been forthcoming.
What this has done, however, was perhaps to bring him face to face with the very real problems experienced by his constituents, the paucity of health care services, the underfunding of the local police, an overlooked community once again being ignored.
The minister, Robert Jenrick, bluffed his way through the debate, assuring Drax that there had been consultation with key parties such as Dorset Council, local NHS and the police but this was contested by Drax who said that all of these bodies had expressed significant reservations about the proposals as a significant stretch on their already very limited resources.
Jenrick offered only further consultation but, the contract has been signed, it appears to be a done deal, to withdraw would be a breach.
The minister was pressed on how a barge with 222 rooms would be able to accommodate the proposed number of asylum seekers, Jenrick was not forthcoming.
The barge proposal is paper thin, ill thought through and a contract signed before any real consideration has been given to how it would all work. Another example of the culture wars, dog whistle politics serving only as a distraction away from the failings of government.
To shine a light on this area of South Dorset may have been a much needed eye opener to Drax but once the gaze has turned away from the barge will he fight so passionately about the area again, his voting record would tell us all we need to know.
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