Judge 'troubled' by Starmer over Gaza immigration row

The Tories have dismissed the concerns of the most senior judge in England and Wales over last week's Prime Minister's Questions, insisting the exchanges did not compromise the independence of the judiciary.

- NINA LLOYD

The lady chief justice said she was “deeply troubled” about last Wednesday’s Commons session, in which Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch criticised an immigration decision.

A judge had granted a Palestinian family the right to remain in Britain after they applied through a scheme designed for Ukrainian refugees, which both the prime minister and Conservative leader said was “wrong”.

Responding to Baroness Carr’s rare intervention yesterday, Ms Badenoch insisted that “parliament is sovereign” and politicians must be able to discuss matters of “crucial public importance” to the UK.

“This doesn’t compromise the independence of the judiciary,” she said.

“The decision to allow a family from Gaza to come to the UK was outrageous for many reasons. The prime minister couldn’t even tell me whether the government would appeal the decision.

“He pretended he was looking at closing a legal ‘loophole’. This is not just some legal loophole that can be closed, but requires a fundamental overhaul of our flawed human rights laws.”