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Greg Evans
Jul 01, 2020
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House of Commons/PA/iStock/Getty Images
Just when you thought 2020 couldn't get any worse, Brexit returns to rear its head and remind us that oh yeah... the UK is leaving the EU.
On Tuesday evening, the British government-backed a flagship immigration bill which will end the European Union's freedom of movement in the UK which will eventually be transformed into a points-based immigration system, which the Tories want to implement from 2021.
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination Bill was passed by 342 votes to 248 votes in the House of Commons, with the home secretary Priti Patel adding in a statement:
Last year the British people sent a clear message that they wanted to end free movement and our landmark Immigration Bill delivers exactly that. Labour voting against this Bill shows that while their leadership may have changed, their determination to deny the will of the people has not.
The bill is likely to prove unpopular going forward as it will potentially deny thousands of people entry to the UK because they do not have the skills that they could later learn.
When I first came to this country my skills were principally playing with Lego and playing the French horn, badly.… https://t.co/NlgFaGjZa7— Dr Philip Lee (@Dr Philip Lee) 1593557517
The loss of free movement is a tragedy. The triumph of the closed minded. A rejection of the freedom of the individ… https://t.co/T7jG8nYU2L— Ian Dunt (@Ian Dunt) 1593583911
For the final time: You haven't removed freedom of movement across our continent from anyone other than poorer UK c… https://t.co/jJroglF5Lj— Brian Cox (@Brian Cox) 1593551333
Thanks so much for ending the opportunities for my kids to live study or work within the EU. Great job. https://t.co/SlS3lazqVZ— Matthew Buckland (@Matthew Buckland) 1593589213
Imagine being so myopic you think this is something to cheer. UK hasnt ended free movement, just deprived their cit… https://t.co/htkbg4uVQ4— Claire Hanna (@Claire Hanna) 1593557817
Many people complained that the bill will now prevent UK citizens from travelling freely within the European Union. It should be noted that this isn't an entirely accurate reflection of this bill as UK citizens can still travel in the EU from January only with a few slight restrictions than before but regardless, people were still unhappy with the thought of this being taken away from them.
Well done. You've ended freedom of movement for 65 million people living in the UK. Meanwhile 440 million people li… https://t.co/VXFF4UnCXu— Pete Timmins (@Pete Timmins) 1593588003
Here's Priti Patel, congratulating herself and the Tory party for shattering the dreams of hundreds of thousands of… https://t.co/jxijYehL0A— Edwin Hayward 🦄 🗡 (@Edwin Hayward 🦄 🗡) 1593574512
@Conservatives @pritipatel A government celebrating removing the rights and freedoms of its own citizens. The clow… https://t.co/Zb27aNtvEB— Kieran (@Kieran) 1593546572
Hurrah! Our right to live, travel, work and retire freely in 30 countries has been ended! At last we can join long… https://t.co/LPTyrtlvwO— David Schneider (@David Schneider) 1593554658
Only 43% of voters backed your party in 2019. A majority supported parties offering a 2nd referendum on the Brexit… https://t.co/iVpGGqoKlY— Incorrigible FCA (@Incorrigible FCA) 1593581427
#ImmigrationBill doesn’t just end the freedom of movement of people like me into the UK—of EU citizens who chose to… https://t.co/sgN0aaTfI7— Prof Tanja Bueltmann (@Prof Tanja Bueltmann) 1593547179
The number of people who still don't realise that they're cheering the abolition of *their own* freedom is a direct… https://t.co/KmI7WtvLr3— James Oh Brien (@James Oh Brien) 1593590465
Politicians also lent their voices to the discontent.
It's not migrants who drive down wages. It's greedy bosses. It's not migrants who free-ride. It's tax dodgers. An… https://t.co/kqVWJEY9tT— Zarah Sultana MP (@Zarah Sultana MP) 1593535549
I voted against the Third Reading of the Immigration Bill this evening. Some comments were appalling. Not only does… https://t.co/vzR19v7WMF— Stephen Farry MP (@Stephen Farry MP) 1593551312
Terribly sad day. Young people shouldn't have fewer freedoms & opportunities than their parents had, but that's wh… https://t.co/a2oAQlcqnq— Natalie Bennett (@Natalie Bennett) 1593556385
It is not migrants who drive down wages. It is exploitative bosses who do, and a government that enables them. The… https://t.co/hN1ivolKYv— Nadia Whittome MP (@Nadia Whittome MP) 1593545051
I was ashamed when speaking to doctors from overseas today ahead of the #ImmigrationBill to hear their stories of s… https://t.co/CcR5EEifk5— Holly Lynch MP (@Holly Lynch MP) 1593554003
Migrants aren't aren't a threat to wages. Unscrupulous employers are. The #ImmigrationBill won't just drag down s… https://t.co/X4tSd2mLd6— Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP (@Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP) 1593545990
Sat in the chamber. Al Murray the pub landlord appears to be writing the speeches of (certain) Tory MPs during the… https://t.co/kpiYb9lah2— Tim Farron (@Tim Farron) 1593528947
MPs from all parties tonight tried to transform this destructive Immigration Bill into one which valued human digni… https://t.co/LwGuDNOEGx— Christine Jardine (@Christine Jardine) 1593544317
This is unlikely to be the last we hear of this either as an amendment raised by Labour’s Yvette Cooper, which asked to continue the existing arrangements for unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with relatives in the UK won some support from Tory MPs, including the former children’s minister Tim Loughton, but was still was defeated by 255 votes to 332.
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