Diana Johnson MP: speeches

Speeches

• 22 Jul 2025 · Orgreave Inquiry · Hansard source

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  I can absolutely confirm that this is a statutory inquiry, with all the legal powers that a statutory inquiry has to compel the provision of documents and of evidence from witnesses and to go wherever the evidence leads it.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Orgreave Inquiry · Hansard source

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  I was going to start by saying that I welcomed the shadow Minister’s initial comments, in which he recognised how the situation at Orgreave all those years ago still casts a shadow over communities in Yorkshire, the north-east and other parts of the country. I must say that I was surprised by some of his comments, because I know that he is a good man and is trying his best to fulfil the role of shadow Policing Minister. I will answer his questions, and will come on to the issue of grooming gangs that he raised in the latter part of his contribution, but I must say that I found his comments extremely distasteful, as well as not accurate or correct. First, I will deal with the question of why we are having this Orgreave inquiry. Our manifesto committed us to ensuring that there was a thorough investigation or inquiry, so that “the truth about the events at Orgreave comes to light.” We are delivering on that manifesto commitment today. As I said in my statement, we are also committed to rebuilding public confidence in policing, and campaigners and mining communities have spent decades searching for answers about what happened. The purpose of the inquiry will be to aid the public understanding of how the events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984 and immediately afterwards came to pass. I hope that explains why we are taking this action today. The shadow Minister asked about the cost. We have been very clear that the Home Office will meet the cost of the inquiry. We are also mindful that we want the inquiry to be as expeditious as possible, and to be value for money. That is why we have looked at the model of the Hillsborough independent inquiry—we think that is a good model to follow. Certainly, there will be conversations with the chair about the projected cost and the timeline that he will want to set out. Turning to the issue of the chair, again I was really disappointed by the shadow Minister’s remarks about the bishop. Bishop Pete has previously supported calls for an inquiry. It is important to note that that was in the context of his pastoral role, in which he has supported members of the diocese of Sheffield who were impacted by the events at Orgreave. He certainly did not show any favour towards either the police or the picketers when calling for that inquiry. I do not think that that call detracts from the necessary credibility, impartiality and independence that I believe Bishop Pete will bring to his role as chair of the inquiry. He has the backing and support of the key stakeholders in taking that role forward. It is also important to remember that the chair of the inquiry will be supported by a small group of independent members, who will have expert knowledge in certain areas to help the chair fulfil his terms of reference. As the shadow Minister said, the inquiry is statutory. That is because we recognise the importance of ensuring that documents can be brought forward. It is important that people can be compelled to produce documents and that witnesses can be compelled as well. Finally, the shadow Minister referred to the issue of grooming gangs. He will know that a great deal of work has been done to make sure that the hideous, appalling situations that have been uncovered around the grooming gangs will now be dealt with. The Safeguarding Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Yardley (Jess Phillips), has given statements to the House, as has the Home Secretary, and there has been a clear list of the actions that are being taken. It is absolutely right that that work is done. Of course, when the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse was set up under the previous Government, there was support across the House for the work of Professor Alexis Jay. It is a great pity that the previous Government did not enact any of Professor Jay’s recommendations. That is the hugely shameful state of affairs that this Government inherited, but I am absolutely clear that this Government are dealing with grooming gangs. That is the right thing to do, but equally, setting up the Orgreave inquiry today is the right thing to do.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Orgreave Inquiry · Hansard source

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  I bitterly regret the fact that it has taken so long for the inquiry to be established. As I have said, there were a number of other causes, but we should have been looking at this far earlier. I think it helpful that Members are expressing their views about what should be covered by the terms of reference for the inquiry, because I know that the bishop will want to note what the House and its Members have to say and ensure that they form part of his discussions about those terms of reference.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Orgreave Inquiry · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his comments. It is clear that once the inquiry has been established we must let it do its work and make its recommendations, and we will then seek to respond to those recommendations.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  It is not nonsense; it is facts. Now we are trying to go further in all these areas, but it is clear that the Conservatives and their friends in Reform are the ones trying to stop us. We introduced counter-terror measures at the border to smash the gangs responsible for the vile trade; they voted against the Bill that delivers that. We introduced measures to ban sex offenders from getting asylum in the UK; they voted against the Bill that delivers them. We introduced tagging for those arriving illegally who pose a risk to the public, and extended illegal working duties to cover the gig economy; once again, they voted against it. We have seen 14 years of inaction, leaving our borders exposed and our communities fractured—yet the shadow Home Secretary has the cheek to lecture us about keeping the country safe.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I sat on the Select Committee on Home Affairs with the hon. Gentleman for a number of years and I think he attended the visit to Manston when we were both on the Committee. [Interruption.] Well, perhaps he did not, but it might have helped if he had. At Manston, information and biometrics are taken from people who come across in small boats; they are checked against records. I wish he would have a look at what actually happens. I think the statistic he mentioned comes from a newspaper; I do not think it has actually been verified, although I am willing to have a look at it, but I think it was in The Sun if I recall correctly.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  As I just said to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Sarah Olney), who speaks for the Liberal Democrats, peaceful protest is completely acceptable. We understand that there are different opinions on immigration in this country, and people should be allowed to voice those opinions. When that turns into violent disorder, as we have seen, it is not acceptable. I know that the police behave in a very professional way. They allow protests to take place, but they clearly have to keep the King’s peace as well. The Father of the House is correct to say that we need a functioning system, where applications are dealt with swiftly, people are not waiting for years for applications to be decided, and those who should not be in this country are removed.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman’s comments on behalf of his constituents were measured, and he is absolutely right that our first thoughts should be with those affected by what happened in Epping—the victims and their families. It is important for the House to note that. I also want to reiterate that this Government are committed to closing all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I say again that we absolutely believe that peaceful protest is part of our democratic process. Unfortunately, as my hon. Friend will know, there are always people who will seek to exploit situations, and we probably saw some of that over the last few days in Epping. I say again that there were people from the local community who were expressing genuinely held views, and it is important that we note that. However, I am also aware that literature was being distributed and that other groups were perhaps going to Epping to stir up problems. The police are aware of that, and they are looking at all the information and evidence about what happened, and they will obviously keep that under review.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  As I understand it—obviously, I am the Policing Minister, but I will get the Minister with responsibility for immigration to write to the right hon. Gentleman about this—the National Crime Agency has over 80 ongoing investigations into networks, and 100 new NCA officers have been recruited and funded by the Border Security Command, taking the total number of officers focused solely on this issue to 500.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend—she put that eloquently. Again, I expect that all Members of this House would want to do everything to protect the members of all communities in this country.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  As I said at the outset, whoever perpetrates a crime will be held to account, and there will be consequences. I hope I have been clear that that includes people who are making asylum applications, as well as the wider general public. People have to be held to account.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I welcome the tone of the hon. Lady’s contribution. This is a serious issue; I fully agree with her on peaceful protest, but it is totally unacceptable when that steps over into violent disorder, as we saw last summer, for example. She will know that there is a huge effort going in to deal with the backlog we inherited from the previous Government—to speed up the process so that those people who should not be in our country are swiftly removed, and those refugees and asylum seekers whose claims are accepted can get on with the rest of their lives.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I totally disagree with what the hon. Lady said. Violent disorder is not a symptom—it is criminal. It is thuggery; it is attacks on our brave police officers. There is no reason or excuse for what happened last summer or for any violent disorder that may happen in future. It is criminal, it should be prosecuted, and people should face the full consequences of the law.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  The Government have been taking action over the past 12 months to deal with the issue of illegal working. There have been 10,031 illegal working visits, leading to 7,130 arrests—a rise of 48% and 51% respectively compared with the year before. That marks the first 12-month period in which more than 10,000 visits have taken place to start to tackle illegal working in this country.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  There was no proper management of public safety risks posed by individual asylum seekers, and migrants could work illegally in the gig economy with few sanctions for the companies responsible. This Government are gripping the situation and turning the system around. We have removed 5,179 foreign national offenders in our first year in office. Just to put that in perspective for the benefit of the House, that is more foreign criminals than were removed in the entire 20 months when the right hon. Gentleman was the Minister for Immigration.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  As I have just set out in great detail, we have a plan. Let me say respectfully to the hon. Gentleman that the plan that the previous Government had resulted in four volunteers, I think, going to Rwanda. A general election was called; the then Prime Minister decided to call a general election. Why did he not let the scheme operate if it was such a success? That is the real question. Why did they go to the country if they were just about to have an enormous success with Rwanda?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  What I can tell the hon. Lady is that we inherited a huge backlog of claims for asylum. One of the important parts of dealing with the backlog is processing those claims and determining whether people have an asylum claim that can be successful; if it is not, they should then be returned. That is the whole purpose of closing the hotels, as we will speed up the processing of the applications.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I am happy to pass on that issue to the Immigration Minister.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for those comments. It might help the shadow Home Secretary if I say that the number of hotels has gone down under this Labour Government. [ Interruption. ] Despite what the shadow Home Secretary says, the number of hotels has gone down since the Government came into power.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  Excuse, excuse, excuse. I would say that the same pattern is true of illegal working—but actually it is even worse. In the first quarter of this year, we delivered more raids, more arrests and more fines for illegal working than the shadow Home Secretary managed in the entire time he was Immigration Minister. We did more in three months to crack down on illegal working than he managed in 20. Now—

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I have absolutely no idea; it is for the shadow Home Secretary to explain that one. Clearly, I would expect all hon. and right hon. Members in the House to want to do everything to keep our communities safe.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  Absolutely—I am very happy to give that assurance. I know that my hon. Friend has been raising these issues for some time, so I am happy to do that.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  The number of hotels has come down. The aim is to reduce the overall bill by £1 billion, but the number of hotels has come down since we came into power.

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend will know that the Immigration Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Dame Angela Eagle), who I believe gave evidence to the esteemed Home Affairs Committee on which he sits, is looking at that issue. A number of companies have been reported in the press as employing or using people in particular from asylum hotels—I know the shadow Home Secretary has taken a particular interest in this—and the Minister is working very hard to ensure that those companies are held to account, and that the new provisions we are bringing in to ensure that the gig economy is treated in the same way as other employers, who have to check individuals’ immigration status, are followed through. There is much more to do, but certainly I know the Immigration Minister is working hard on this.