WATCH: Thornberry criticises Covid-19 plans for repatriation of Brits abroad

Labour’s Emily Thornberry has criticised plans set out by the government for the repatriation of British people trapped abroad during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary says the commitments made so far by Dominic Raab would fail to address the issues faced by hundreds of thousands of Brits around the world.

In an interview with Sky News, she said: “We just heard more of: we’re going to keep the airports open, we’re working with commercial airlines, we may or may not charter flights.”

Thornberry told Sky that Labour had been trying to help the Foreign Office by passing on information and pressing them for action, but “we haven’t got the answers we should”.

Commenting after the appearance by Dominic Raab at the Covid-19 press conference on Monday, Thornberry said there had only been “vague promises” with “none of the commitment or urgency other countries like Germany have put into this”.

She concluded: “We need a comprehensive and fully-funded strategy to bring our British nationals home, using every option at the government’s disposal, and to give them all the practical support and help they need in the interim.”

More from LabourList

DONATE HERE

Do you value LabourList’s coverage? We need your support.

Our independent journalists have been on the ground during this local and by-election campaign, which marks the first key electoral test of Keir Starmer’s government. 

We’ve been out and about with Labour activists and candidates across the country from Bristol to Hull, and will soon be heading to Cambridgeshire and Lancashire – as well as Runcorn and Helsby. We’ve also polled readers for their views on the campaign.

LabourList relies on donations from readers like you to continue its fair, fast, reliable and well-informed news and analysis. We don’t have party funding or billionaire owners. 

If you value what we do, set up a regular donation today.

DONATE HERE