5 days ago
Lord Hermer talked up ‘immense positives' of immigration
Lord Hermer backed the idea of promoting the 'immense positives' of immigration in order to counter Right-wing politics.
In comments made before his appointment as Attorney General, the human rights lawyer said 'fear of immigration' was used as a 'recruiting sergeant' for movements like Brexit.
The comments appear at odds with Sir Keir Starmer's plans on immigration, which he announced last month with a vow to 'take back control of our borders' or risk the UK becoming an 'island of strangers'.
Speaking on the Matrix Chambers podcast in 2022, Lord Hermer suggested trying to 'alter the popular discourse' around immigration in a discussion about the Tories' failed attempt to deport migrants to Rwanda.
'The populist Right are very successful in using immigration and the fear of immigration as a recruitment sergeant or just generally in dominating the kind of political field,' he said.
'What can those of us who are passionate about the protection of refugee rights do to try and alter the popular discourse?'
He added: 'How do we go on the offence more generally in terms of our political culture, either to detoxify the whole debate, or to promote the immense positive things that immigration brings to this country? I speak as a second generation immigrant to this country. How do we change the debate?'
He also argued that opposing the plan to process failed asylum seekers in the African country was a way of defending migrants' human rights.
Lord Hermer, a South Glamorgan-born lawyer from a Jewish family, is reported to visit Israel frequently but has not spoken publicly about his parents' origins.
In the episode, Lord Hermer, who led the discussion, was joined by Raza Husain KC, a refugee rights specialist and Matrix Chambers colleague, and Sile Reynolds, of the advocacy charity Freedom from Torture.
The trio suggested tackling the 'propagandised post-truth world' and presenting an 'alternative vision' of Britain as a 'country that welcomes people seeking asylum'.
'Defender of Britain's enemies'
Sir Keir is facing mounting pressure over his choice of attorney general, with a string of controversies leading to calls for Lord Hermer to be sacked.
Lord Hermer had no background in politics before being given a peerage by his friend last year, which allowed him to enter Parliament and be appointed the Prime Minister's chief legal adviser.
He has faced criticism over his alleged conflicts of interest in his previous work as a human rights lawyer, with a list of former clients including Gerry Adams and an Islamist terrorist who intended to bomb Manchester, prompting concerns.
Last week, Lord Hermer came under fire for comparing politicians who want to 'abandon' legal arrangements like the ECHR to lawmakers in Nazi Germany.
The Attorney General faced calls to resign over the comments and was forced to apologise.
Among them was Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, who claimed Lord Hermer was unfit for the job because he had spent his life 'defending Britain's enemies'.
The Government is under increasing pressure to tackle migration.
Earlier this week, John Healey, the defence secretary, admitted that Britain had ' lost control of its borders ' after nearly 1,200 migrants crossed the Channel last Saturday.
More than 14,000 migrants have arrived illegally in small boats so far this year, while the Government is grappling with recent legal net inflows of around almost one million per year.
Sir Keir has accused his Tory predecessors of running an 'open borders experiment' and pledged to 'tighten up every area of the immigration system'.
Saturday's wave of Channel crossings come as Reform UK challenges Labour and the incumbent SNP in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election on Thursday, at which Nigel Farage's party could win its first Scottish seat.
Sir Keir has also pledged to tighten up the application of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which Mr Farage has backed leaving.
The 'right to family life' enshrined in the ECHR has been repeatedly exploited by illegal migrants and foreign criminals to avoid deportation. Lawyers successfully argued in one instance that an Albanian criminal could not be sent home because his son, who had a distaste for the country's chicken nuggets, would have to go with him.
Lucy Connolly
He has come under further scrutiny over the case of Lucy Connolly, who was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to stirring up racial hatred by writing a post on X in the wake of the Southport killings last year.
While her tweet has been widely condemned, free speech advocates have said her sentence was excessive. The White House has said it is 'monitoring' the case. The Telegraph revealed this week that Lord Hermer signed off on the prosecution despite having the constitutional power to prevent it.
Lord Hermer also advised Caribbean nations seeking reparations for slavery. He worked with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in 2013 when the group of 15 member states first drew up demands for payments from Britain.
His office said the Attorney General is aligned with government policy as set out in the white paper on immigration.
