Blunkett must abandon Throckmorton refugee plan – Euro-MP

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Oct 2002

West Midlands region Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Liz Lynne has welcomed the decision by the House of Lords last night to reject the government’s plans to impose refugee “reception centres” in rural areas such as Throckmorton in Worcestershire.

Commenting on the vote, Liz said: “The government’s ‘out of sight, out of mind’ policy on refugees is an act of supreme political cowardice. Their rural reception centre plan would be bad for local people, but even worse for the refugees who would be abandoned by the government in areas with poor local facilities at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.

“The House of Lords is right to call for reception centres to be built on a smaller scale and in urban areas. Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, bishops, crossbenchers and even Labour rebels lined up to support this plan. My advice to David Blunkett would be to stop posturing, accept this constructive criticism and abandon his plans for Throckmorton now.”