Philp labels Hermer's small boats comment a 'disgraceful slur'

Philp labels Hermer's small boats comment a 'disgraceful slur'Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKate WhannelPolitical reporterPA MediaPeople, believed to be migrants, on a beach in Dunkirk before attempting a small boats crossing Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp has accused the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, of a "disgraceful slur" when he said some right-wing politicians' policies on small boats amounted to letting "people drown in the water".In an interview with the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, Lord Hermer said the Labour government had been able to reduce the number of people making the dangerous journey through international cooperation and agreements.He argued that such deals would fall through if the UK left the European Convention on Human Rights, as proposed by the Conservatives and Reform UK."So what Reform and the Tories have to answer is: Well what would you do?" he said. When it was put to him that the parties would "send them somewhere else", Lord Hermer replied: "Well I think what they mean by that is let people drown in the water and that is not a British way to deal with it."Asked if he believed that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wanted to let people drown in the English Channel, Lord Hermer replied: "No, no, I think if you hear some of the voices, even to the right of Kemi Badenoch, some of the language and some of rhetoric is deeply, deeply concerning, the kind of disregard for the humanity of people."In response, Philp said: "It is a disgraceful slur to suggest that those wanting to end illegal small boat immigration are prepared to see migrants drown."The fact is that human rights lawyers like Hermer and [Sir Keir] Starmer are part of the problem - because they think the often tenuous human rights claims of illegal immigrants are more important than protecting our border."He said small boat crossings had increased un...