'A New Low': Tory MP Slammed For Crass Comment About Missing Migrant Children
Jonathan Gullis is the Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent North.
A Tory MP has been slammed over comments he made about missing migrant children.
Former schools minister Jonathan Gullis heckled Labour’s Tulip Siddiq when she raised the issue in the House of Commons yesterday.
Ministers are under fire after an investigation by the Observer found that dozens of asylum-seeking children had vanished from a hotel in Brighton that is run by the Home Office.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick confirmed that of the 4,600 unaccompanied children that have arrived in the UK since July 2021, 440 have vanished at some point, while 200 remain missing.
Of the 200, 13 are under the age of 16 and one is female.
When Tulip Siddiq raised the issue at prime minister’s questions, Gullis said: “Well, they shouldn’t have come here illegally.”
His comments were tweeted by shadow Northern Ireland secretary Peter Kyle - sparking a furious backlash online.
In a statement issued to HuffPost UK, the defiant MP for Stoke-in-Trent North accused Labour of pursuing an “open door approach to illegal immigration”.
Tulip Sadiq asks the prime minister about the welfare of 200 unaccompanied migrant children who’ve gone missing.
Tory MP Jonathan Gullis heckles ‘well they shouldn’t have come here illegally’.
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, the Tory Party find a new low #PMQs— Peter Kyle MP (@peterkyle) January 25, 2023
Among those joined in the wave of criticism of Gullis were TV personality Sue Perkins.
Jonathan Gullis is fucking monstrous. Children. Innocent children. Missing. For shame.
— Sue Perkins 💙 (@sueperkins) January 25, 2023
Others called for the Commons authorities to take action against the MP.
Okay, I want Jonathan Gullis sacked for this, I want people yelling at him about it every day for the rest of his life, what a disgusting, sickening, monstrous thing to say. 200 missing kids, and he sits there on his lazy arse shouting that it's their own fault. Get. Him. OUT. https://t.co/w3ikgvWrpX
— James Moran (@jamesmoran) January 25, 2023
Dear @LindsayHoyle_MP I wish to make a complaint about the abhorrent behaviour displayed by Jonathan Gullis during #PMQs . I think you would agree that what he heckled when Tulip Siddiq asked the PM a question regarding the missing 200 children is disgusting #SackGullisNow
— 🐟 Desert Rose (@desertrose1969) January 26, 2023
Yesterday's comment from Jonathan Gullis was despicable - the worst, ill thought comment made by a Tory I've ever heard (with a high bar as my MP is Lee Anderson)
I'm so appalled, I've just set up a petition. Please sign and share.https://t.co/SWTn26zBkg— Dave Hennigan (@DavidLHennigan) January 26, 2023
Gullis told HuffPost UK: “Labour’s open door approach to illegal immigration shows they’re out of touch with the public, out of ideas on migration, and explains why they’ve been out of government for over a decade.
“I fully support the Prime Minister in stopping migrants claiming asylum who have entered the UK illegally, deporting them to safe third countries like Rwanda instead, and smash apart the vile smuggling gangs.”