Dover and Portsmouth: Protests

Lee Anderson Excerpts

Monday 7th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Jones]

Anyone who is whipping up this kind of activity and breeding racism is to be condemned. I notice that other Reform MPs are bobbing to ask their questions, so perhaps one of them could address the issue of the Reform member who wants—I am sorry, but I hate even to repeat the words—to see Nigerians melted down. Perhaps one of the hon. Members would like to respond.

[Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Reform)]

The Minister said that there was a lack of intelligence in Dover, and I am sure she was not referring to the local MP—the hon. Member for Dover and Deal (Mike Tapp)—but is she aware that, since this illegal invasion started, hundreds of young girls have been raped in our country? We have had an 80-year-old man raped, a young girl in Ashfield raped and a 14-year-old boy raped, so does she understand why people in this country are so furious and taking to the streets? Does she understand?

[Sarah Jones]

First, just to clarify, I do not think I said there was a lack of intelligence; I said I did not want to comment on the intelligence—there is a difference. In the case of Dover, the police had not been informed of the protest. That is not to say there was not intelligence that I cannot comment on or would not know about. I just want to be clear about that, as that is different.

Of course, all crimes need to be punished. We need to ensure that people who commit vile sexual and violent offences go to prison or, if they are not from this country, are deported, and that is what we are doing. The number of foreign national offenders being sent home and the number of people who have been turned down for asylum and are being sent home are significantly up on when the Conservatives—the hon. Member’s previous party—were in power. We will continue to do that, but of course that is not to say that we are not intensely sympathetic and sorry for people who have been victims of awful crimes.