David Blunkett backs Fallon’s “swamped” comments

Former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett has backed comments made by Tory minister Michael Fallon, who at the weekend said that “whole towns and communities” were being “swamped” with immigrants. Downing Street moved to distance themselves from the comments and Fallon yesterday apologised. Many Tory MPs, however, came out in support of his original statement.

Now Blunkett has waded into the row, saying it reminds him of a similar situation 12 years ago, when, as Home Secretary, he also used the word “swamped” with regards to immigration.

In an article in today’s Daily Mail, Blunkett writes:

“This storm echoed the experience I went through 12 years ago when I, too, used the word ‘swamped’ to describe the anxious feelings of people who were facing the dispersal of large numbers of asylum seekers into their own hard-pressed Northern communities.

Such fears were being fuelled at the time by the tremendous strain put on vital public services such as GPs’ practices, local schools and social housing.

Just as today, my use of the word ‘swamped’ caused a bitter controversy. In contrast to Michael Fallon’s case, I was not told by Downing Street to use different words — but the then PM Tony Blair’s office did distance itself from my language. 

Moreover, I was subjected to a barrage of criticism from right across the political spectrum.”

Ed Miliband last week laid out a five point plan for dealing with immigration – one which emphasises that Labour would take a tougher approach on the issue, without pandering to the right wrong and attempting to ape UKIP’s appeal.