The United Kingdom’s new asylum minister attacked President Donald J. Trump this week at her governing Labour Party’s annual conference. Angela Eagle, 63, appeared to take particular umbrage with Trump’s “memes,” blaming him for “overt racism” and a “constant drumbeat of toxic anti-immigration, anti-immigrant rhetoric.”
“If you look at some of the memes he’s using with the wall stuff at the moment, it’s astonishing, quite the level of vitriol it has created,” she blurted during a session away from the main stage. The matter has gone down poorly with a Trump team the Labour Party is desperate to foster ties with.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung responded, “Nobody knows who this random person is or cares what comes out of her mouth,” adding, “Who is she and what does she do?”
Brexit leader Nigel Farage MP, head of the Reform UK party and a close ally of Trump, also commented on Eagle’s statements, saying, “Angela Eagle and the Labour Party are so scared of this subject that all they can do is throw abuse at anyone concerned about the unwanted changes to our country.”
While Labour has promised to tackle people smuggling and reduce illegal arrivals, the party canceled the former Conservative government’s deportation plan. The Labour government has since announced measures to spread migrants across the country.
Many deportations are halted by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which the UK is still a member of despite leaving the European Union. Farage has called for a national referendum on ECHR membership, arguing that the UK should abandon the European court and be able to enact deportations of illegals.