Pressure is growing on David Cameron to accept more migrants, both from the media and from many in his own MPs. After today’s front pages hit social media yesterday evening, Conservatives from all corners of the party have publicly urged the government to take further action. These are the figures who have broken cover so far.
Ruth Davidson – leader of the Scottish Conservatives: tweeted ‘DfID is doing life-saving work abroad but we can – & must – do more at home’
The UK I know has always shouldered its burden in the world. DfID is doing life-saving work abroad but we can – & must – do more at home 1/2
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonPC) September 3, 2015
2/2 This is not an immigration issue, it's a humanitarian one, and the human response must be to help. If we don't, what does that make us?
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonPC) September 3, 2015
Sayeeda Warsi – former chairman Conservative party: said on the Today programme that ‘we have to respond to this now in a practical and a realistic way’ and urged the government to take in more migrants:
‘We have an unfolding crisis in Europe and we can either say ‘look, it’s not our problem, we can’t do more’ or we can be realistic and practical and say we have a long and proud history and tradition of responding when these situations arise, we do so in a humane way, we do so when we have expertise and in doing so we do say to the rest of Europe ‘we will too share the burden’.
James Berry — MP for Kingston & Surbiton: has said his local council are ‘leading the way’.
https://twitter.com/JamesBerryMP/status/639400296549089280
Nicola Blackwood – MP for Oxford West & Abingdon: has said on Twitter Britain has a history of protecting refuges and ‘we cannot be the generation that fails this test of humanity’.
In 2013 I met these refugees in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon have taken in 1.1m Syrians. Imagine if they'd refused 1/3 pic.twitter.com/8hJ9pSx8IQ
— Nicola Blackwood (@nicolablackwood) September 2, 2015
Britain has a proud history of giving sanctuary to those fleeing conflict & protecting the persecuted. 2/3
— Nicola Blackwood (@nicolablackwood) September 2, 2015
We cannot be the generation that fails this test of humanity. We must do all we can #refugeecrisis 3/3
— Nicola Blackwood (@nicolablackwood) September 2, 2015
David Burrowes – MP for Enfield Southgate: has tweeted today’s Telegraph front page, saying ‘at the very least we should accept more than 1% Syrian refugees because we accept more than 1% responsibility’
..at the very least we should accept more than 1% Syrian refugees because we accept more than 1% responsibility.. pic.twitter.com/fEmLqHJB2X
— David Burrowes (@DavidBurrowesUK) September 3, 2015
Jeremy Lefroy — MP for Stafford, has said on his personal blog:
‘I believe that the Prime Minister is right to point to the need to continue to tackle the causes; and Yvette Cooper MP, and others, are also right to call for the UK to take in more refugees, working with local communities across the UK. It is not ‘either’ or’ – we need to do both.’
Johnny Mercer — MP for Plymouth Moor View, has told The Times today ‘we have always led the world in looking after people who can’t look after themselves’.
Tom Tugendhat – MP for Tonbridge, Edenbridge and Malling: has said on Twitter his constituents want the government to do more and he agrees with them. ‘Our common humanity demands action at home and abroad’ he tweeted.
https://twitter.com/TomTugendhat/status/639192676596883456
Nadhim Zahawi – MP for Stratford-on-Avon: has tweeted the picture on many newspaper front pages today, saying ‘we have failed in Syria’.
We r nothing without compassion. Pic should make us all ashamed. We have failed in Syria.I am sorry little angel,RIP. pic.twitter.com/H2Pd7TL2tn
— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) September 3, 2015
And for a slightly different take, Andrew Mitchell, the former International Development Secretary, argued on Newsnight that the UK has done ‘more than the whole of the EU put together in terms of financial support’ and ‘although Britain is not taking a large number of refugees, we are providing an immense amount of humanitarian support’.
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