Labour 'living in fantasy land!' Tories blast Mahmood's reform as another 'gimmick'

LABOUR'S flagship migrant reforms, which will be unveiled today, have been derided as "gimmicks" and "tinkering around the edges" that will fail to end small-boat crossings.

- BY CHRISTIAN CALGIE Senior Political Correspondent

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood claims the measures - viewed as make-or-break changes to the asylum system - are the most radical since the end of the Second World War.

They draw on Denmark's hardline policies, and include a rapid scaling up of removals and deportations.

This comes as Labour admits for the first time that the European Convention on Human Rights is allowing serious criminals to remain in Britain.

Ms Mahmood will announce the package in the Commons. It includes new legislation to reform human rights and modern slavery laws, and fast-track asylum rejections.

But the policies have already been rejected by the Tories and Reform for falling short of what is needed to tackle the crisis.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp insisted that Labour's new recognition of the problems caused by the ECHR was not enough.

Mr Philp, who appeared with Ms Mahmood on BBC1's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, said: "The only way to stop illegal immigration - and deport all illegal immigrants and foreign criminals - is to come out of the ECHR completely.

"We cannot allow human rights lawyers to exploit the ECHR to allow dangerous foreign criminals to stay in the UK any longer.

"Tinkering around the edges as Labour proposes won't work.

"Labour is living in fantasy land with these half-measures that are no more likely to work than their previous failed 'smash the gangs' gimmick."