The Illegal Migration Bill makes its way to the House of Lords today, where it is set to be debated — and possibly heavily amended — by peers.
The controversial legislation seeks to prevent people coming to the UK via small boats, by effectively denying the right to asylum regardless of the strength of anyone’s case. It also empowers the Government to ignore rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has urged the Lords not to defy what she describes as the “will of the people” by torpedoing the legislation. This is, of course, a misrepresentation of the role of the upper chamber, which exists to scrutinise and amend bills.
Indeed, peers are expected to propose amendments that include more legal safe routes for migrants and to prevent ministers from ignoring human rights rulings, both of which this newspaper has called for.
Time and again we have seen that rushed legislation leads to bad law. It is therefore right that the Lords does its job. Though the Government may not be too disappointed by this outcome, given that ministers will have someone else to try and blame for their inability to achieve the self-declared aim of stopping the boats.
The end for Trump?
Many would hope that a jury finding a presidential candidate liable for sexual abuse would mark the end of that person’s political career. But in the present United States, that outcome is far from certain.
A jury concluded that Donald Trump sexually abused E Jean Carroll in the dressing room of a New York department store in the Nineties. He was further found liable for defamation, when he falsely denounced Carroll’s allegations as “a hoax and a lie”. After numerous accusations, and the former president’s boast that he could grab women, this is the first occasion on which Mr Trump has been found legally guilty for a sexual crime.
If one were looking for further evidence of the febrile nature of American democracy, the judge in this case warned jurors not to disclose their identities to anyone, lest they face political retribution and even violence.
For all the concerns about his age and jokes about frequent gaffes, Joe Biden may well remain the world’s best bet against a second Trump administration.
Jarvis a worthy winner
Congratulations to Jarvis, winner of the 2023 Oscar’s book prize, for his wonderful book, The Boy With Flowers in His Hair.
The prize, supported by the Evening Standard, encourages parents to share books with their children. It was set up by James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand in memory of their son, Oscar, who died at the age of three in 2012.
For more information on the prize and the winning book, go to www.oscarsbookprize.co.uk.
