One year on

Writing in the Fabian Review this time last year, I set out the sorry saga of the Bibby Stockholm barge – a floating vessel used to house asylum seekers in my constituency. Since then, much has changed.

This new Labour government has hit the reset button and announced that the barge will soon close. So how did we get here and what comes next?

The previous Conservative government installed the barge in Portland harbour as a political gimmick. The vessel was supposed to help wage a divisive culture war and deliver positive news headlines. It was unsuccessful on both counts. Instead, the barge became a symbol of neglect and a source of derision once it became clear that it would cost the taxpayer a fortune.

We must never forget that my constituents were landed with this wasteful barge because the previous government failed to resolve the asylum crisis. On their watch, the number of dangerous small boat crossings ballooned, criminal gangs profiteered from human trafficking on an industrial scale, and the backlog of unprocessed asylum cases skyrocketed. If the last Conservative government had spent more time responding to this disaster and less time indulging in political games, then – put simply – there would be no barge.

Labour’s new Home Affairs team now has an opportunity to step up, reset the response to this crisis and clear up the mess we inherited.

The clean-up operation has already begun with the decision to cancel the barge and similar gimmicks – principally the Rwanda scheme. These unworkable schemes have been burning through taxpayers’ money and yet delivered vanishingly little. The Home Secretary made the right call to end them as soon as she could.

Next, it is essential that this new government is open with the public about the scale of the problem. Under the Tories, the brewing asylum crisis was initially overlooked, which certainly contributed to it rapidly spiralling out of control. The public deserve to know every detail about the mess we have inherited. We must also be transparent about the complex nature of this crisis when articulating Labour’s response, otherwise we will only fuel frustration and distrust.

Going forward, the whole of government must collaborate to disrupt and destroy the criminal gangs at the centre of this crisis. They will continue to illegally transport individuals for as long as it is both practical and profitable. The Home Secretary is entirely correct to say that we must do whatever it takes to smash these gangs – including the use of counter-terrorism powers.
This crisis must also be understood and addressed within the wider European context, which means any response from government must be closely coordinated with our regional allies and partners. This Labour government has already begun taking the necessary steps to establish itself as a leading actor in the international response.

And finally, we must meaningfully engage with the frustration felt across the country. My constituents are understandably fed up with this crisis and appalled by the subsequent human suffering; they want to know their concerns are being listened to and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. This government inherited a broken system, it is critical that we now create a much firmer, fairer, and faster asylum system that – crucially – the public can trust.

Shutting down the Bibby Stockholm barge marks a long-awaited reset – one which prioritises realistic and humane solutions over political gimmicks and division. I’m proud of the early progress made by this Labour government. Now we must be laser-focused on ending this crisis on our shores.

Image: Ashley Smith via Wikimedia Commons