Why Michael Fallon’s remarks are ‘swamped’ in controversy
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon admits being “rather careless” after saying some towns were at risk of being “swamped” by immigrants.
But the cabinet minister warned that towns and communities were still under pressure from immigrants coming from countries in the European Union.
Mr Fallon’s comments had sparked outrage after he told Sky News: “The Germans haven’t seen our proposal yet, and we haven’t seen our proposal yet.
“That is still being worked on at the moment to see what we can do to prevent whole towns and communities being swamped by huge numbers of migrant workers”.
Labour’s Keith Vaz, chairman of the influential Commons home affairs select committee, said Mr Fallon’s original comments had been “nasty, inappropriate and wrong”.
The remarks received criticism from Twitter users, including author and playwright Bonnie Greer:
“I was careless”- Michael “Swamp” Fallon -secretary of his own defence & Tory- Right rockstar.
#Tories
#immigration
#Torymeltdown
— Bonnie Greer (@Bonn1eGreer) October 27, 2014
Fallon use of “swamped” not an accident. Thatcher in 70s did same in attempt to win votes from the Nazi NF. He wants to win UKIP votes back.
— Almas Ali (@MrAliJnr) October 27, 2014
Getting a little fed up with people ‘accidentally’ talking about ‘swamped’ towns and the ‘worth’ of disabled people, and then ‘apologising’.
— Orlanda Ward (@OrlyWard) October 27, 2014
It is not the first time such language has been used by politicians. Margaret Thatcher spoke of people’s fears of being swamped by immigrants in 1978.
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Speaking to ITV’s World in Action programme, the former prime minister said: “People are rather afraid of being swamped by people with a difference culture and, you know, the British character has done so much for democracy, for law and done so much throughout the world that if there is any fear that it might be swamped people are going to react and be rather hostile to those coming in.
People are rather afraid of being swamped by people with a difference culture. Margaret Thatcher
“You see, my great fear is now that if we get them coming in at that rate people will turn round and we shall not have good race relations with those who are here.”
The comments are said to have been responsible for the collapse in support for the National Front, which had been gathering momentum in working class communities.
‘Ridiculous’
In 2002, former home secretary David Blunkett claimed that local schools were also being “swamped” by children of asylum seekers.
The chairman of the Campaign for Racial Equality said Mr Blunkett’s comments was “regrettable”. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Blunkett stressed he was not talking about Britain being swamped by immigrants.
“The idea that a word is unusable even though the dictionary definition is perfectly straightforward because an ex-prime minister used it… in a different context in an emotive way is ridiculous,” he added.
On Mr Fallon’s comments, Mr Blunkett told BBC Daily Politics: “I wouldn’t have withdrawn the word. I would have just clarified”.