Leader of the City Hall Conservatives faces backlash for supporting Suella Braverman

Image by London Assembly

The leader of the City Hall Conservatives came under fire after backing Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial comments about refugees, claiming that they are staging an “invasion” of the south coast.

City Hall Tory leader Susan Hall AM supported the right-wing minister who said that the refugee system is “broken” with “illegal immigration” being “out of control”. She added that the Conservatives will take steps to stop “the invasion of our south coast”.

Braverman’s comments were deemed inflammatory and dangerous by human rights groups, an she has since faced mounting pressure to resign. Her comments at the House of Commons came after an immigration processing centre in Dover, Kent, was subjected to a  firebomb attack. The attack is being treated by the police as a potential far-right terrorist crime.

Responding to former Tory minister Anna Soubry’s call for Suella Braverman to quit over the remarks, Susan Hall AM wrote on Twitter: “No Anna, very many of us completely agree with her. Suella Braverman must stay and sort this situation out. Protecting our borders was a strong reason for voting Brexit.”

Following this, her tweet received several negative replies. One user wrote: “A Conservative insisting only Conservatives can solve crisis after crisis caused by Conservatives… is really something to behold.” Another stated: “Look at the stats. Since your Brexit the situation has got worse. Wasn’t Brexit sold on us setting higher standards, being ‘more British’, compassionate, taking the higher moral ground. Turns out it’s more nasty!”

Another user pointed out that the refugee crisis had barely anything to do with Brexit or the EU, writing: “You do know that the majority of migrants are from outside the EU and Brexit had no effect on them?”

Braverman also recently admitted to repeatedly committing security breaches by sending Home Office documents through her personal email, which has led to further calls for her to quit. The UK has also rejected France’s repeated offers to set up a migrant processing centre on French soil. This has led to thousands of refugees to take ‘small boats and seek asylum in the UK.