Katie Lam argued the measure would create a “culturally coherent” Britain, stating many people “need to go home”
A Conservative Member of Parliament who has been identified as a potential future party leader is facing criticism after suggesting that numerous families who have legally settled in the UK should be deported to maintain what she described as the country’s cultural coherence.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch is being pressured to denounce remarks made by Katie Lam, who serves as both a shadow minister in the Home Office and a party whip. Lam, who previously worked as a special adviser to Boris Johnson, is frequently characterized as an emerging talent among the party’s newest members.
In comments to the Sunday Times, Lam expressed her view that many people currently holding legal status in the UK should have their residency rights withdrawn and be required to leave the country.
She stated that while many people entered the UK through legal channels, they should not have been permitted to do so, and clarified that this was not the fault of the individuals themselves. She suggested these people would need to leave, which would result in what she termed “a mostly but not entirely culturally coherent group of people.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey sent a letter to Badenoch characterizing Lam’s comments as troubling and contrary to British values, asserting that people who entered the UK legally and established their lives there are already home.
Davey contended that Lam’s proposal to remove thousands of legal residents demonstrates how significantly the Conservative party has departed from core principles of decency, tolerance, and respect for legal processes that most British citizens value.
The Liberal Democrats are demanding that the Conservatives immediately specify whether Lam’s views represent official party policy and identify which groups of people they believe should not have been granted legal entry to the UK.
The party is also asking for clarification on what the phrase “a mostly but not entirely culturally coherent group of people” means and how this concept would be incorporated into Conservative immigration policy.
This stance bears resemblance to positions taken by Reform UK, which has proposed eliminating indefinite leave to remain status and requiring migrants to repeatedly apply for five-year visas, which would only be available to high earners.
Labour has also announced plans to modify indefinite leave to remain, though their approach would require applicants to have resided in the UK for a decade and demonstrate contributions to British society, such as through volunteer activities.
