Moaning Tory accuses Sky News presenter of interrupting him: 'Let me finish'
Top Tory Grant Shapps moaned that a presenter was interrupting him as he tried to blame Labour for the Government's immigration failings.
The Energy Security Secretary clashed with Sky News presenter Jane Secker when she grilled him on the numbers of people exploiting the student visa system. It has been revealed that the Government has no public data on how people overstay their visa and fail to return to their home country.
Mr Shapps grew tetchy when he was pressed on why the Government failed to collect the information, as net migration to the UK hit record levels. Official figure show 606,000 more people came to Britain from abroad than left the country during the 12 months to December 2022.
Mr Shapps said: “I don’t know the answer on that specific point, but broadly I would say this government has really proactively passed - I have to say against Labour on every single occasion - a whole series of pieces of legislation..."
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps clashed with a Sky News presenter over immigration policy (Sky News)The presenter hit back: “It’s not Labour who’s been in power for the last 13 years.”
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Mr Shapps retorted: “You need to let me complete my sentences here, otherwise this is not going to be very informative.”
Ms Secker then said: “If I ask you about something the government has done, it seems disingenuous for you to then start blaming Labour.”
But the Cabinet Minister responded: “Every time I give you an answer you cut across the answer. The point I was trying to make is we have been passing legislation against tooth and nail opposition from the Labour Party to crack down on things like illegal migration - what happens across the Channel, for example, with small boats.”
In a round of morning interviews, Mr Shapps also insisted that the Bibby Stockholm barge that will house asylum seekers is not a "death-trap".
Safety fears have been raised over the giant barge on the Dorset coast, with plans to move asylum seekers there delayed amid fears it could become a "floating Grenfell"
Mr Shapps told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "It certainly won't be a death-trap. This actual ship was previously used by Germany to house migrants, there's no reason why it wouldn't be absolutely safe. Ships are used to transport people all the time and there's no inherent reason why that (not being safe) would be the case.
"That's actually why these final safety checks are being carried out."
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