The efforts made to persuade UK voters of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin to vote to leave the European Union last year with the suggestion that a post-Brexit Britain might open up to Commonwealth countries, have been highlighted this week, as the House of Commons debated the legislation that will enable the government to start Brexit negotiations.
Two Labour Members of Parliament, Margaret Beckett, a former Foreign Secretary and the MP for Derby South, and Wes Streeting, the MP for Ilford North raised the issue during the debate on Tuesday afternoon. MPs were debating the second reading of the Bill over Tuesday and Wednesday, which will then pass to the Committee stage next week. Both Beckett, and Streeting campaigned to remain in the E.U. and have constituencies with a large South Asian-origin population.
Streeting said that the International Development Secretary Priti Patel MP had made the case to his “constituents of Indian descent, of Bangladeshi descent, of Pakistani descent that leaving the EU would not only lead to future trade deals, but would improve immigration to this country from the Commonwealth.” Mrs Beckett concurred that this had happened. She also questioned the ability of Britain to secure a free trade deal with India, given the current direction of government immigration policy.
“I recall those in the leave campaign saying that we could have trading arrangements with a whole lot of other countries, and I am going to turn to that now. India was cited as one example, but I have the distinct impression that when the Prime Minister discussed these issues with the President of India she may have been advised that far from closing the immigration door, he would like to see it opened wider,” she said. “Nor do I think a trade deal with China will be without any quid pro quo.”
“My constituents feel betrayed, ” Virendra Sharma, the Labour MP for Ealing, Southall, who had campaigned to remain in the EU told The Hindu. He said that many constituents had believed suggestions from the Leave campaign that exiting the E.U. would give the country control of its borders, giving it the lee-way to ease rules for Commonwealth citizens. “This is certainly not going to happen…they are making it harder and harder.”
“There are a lot of people who would have voted remain who voted leave who were given the wrong impression that there would be more scope for immigrants [from India] able to come here more easily,” he said.
Later Ms. Beckett told The Hindu that it's impossible to tell what the impact of the promise has been. “I get the impression that a lot of people were quite impressed and thought it might be advantageous and that it was a way of setting Asian constituents against people from the rest of Europe.”
The government seems to be tightening things up again quite significantly,” she added. “What I am sure is there won’t be a trade deal [with India] without some give and take on our side.”
