𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Fiona Bruce challenged a Green MP over the party’s vision for open borders on tonight’s Question Time. The BBC host pressed Ellie Chowns on the Green Party’s ambition as the show debated the row over Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s migrant comments.

Bruce said: “As I understand it the Green Party wants open borders that’s something that has been up on your website for years. So are you saying Britain should be open to all comers, that’s the logical conclusion of that.”

Ms Chowns said: “Ultimately it doesn’t make sense that there are huge restrictions on people moving.”

The BBC presenter cut in: “So the answer is yes? The UK should be open to all comers.”

The Green politician replied: “There are seven to eight billion people in the world, we’re not suggesting they should all come to the UK.”

Bruce asked again: “Just to be clear because I think this is really important. Anyone who wants to come should be able to come?”

When Ms Chowns admitted it “can’t work like that”, Bruce then asked how it would work.

Ms Chowns went on: “The Green Party would like to see a world where we’re not placing huge restrictions on people.”

Bruce said: “You’re not placing any restrictions if you have open borders.”

The Green MP responded: “We’d like to see a much more equal world in which you don’t have the huge global inequality that drives some people to migrate.”

Bruce then said: “This is something when we’ve had people on from the Green Party before I can never quite understand exactly what you mean.

“Do you think anyone should be able to come and if it’s not anybody then how are you limiting it?”

Ms Chowns replied: “In relation to people who are coming here as economic migrants to work in the care sector, the NHS, that needs to be driven by the jobs that are available.

“In relation to people who are fleeing for their lives, seeking asylum, we take far less than our fair share of the global number of people who are fleeing.

“In fact there are tens of millions of people who are fleeing their home countries in fear of their lives.”

Bruce pressed: “So if they want to come to the UK they should be able to come? Just to be clear, people who are fleeing persecution and you said there are millions of them, if they want to come to the UK they should able to come?”

The Green MP insisted that Britain “should take our fair share globally”.

Asked how many that would be, she said: “By not enabling people to come here in safe, managed ways we’re driving people into the hands of people smugglers.”