A staffer for a Tory MP who said that her office was “besieged” by illegal migrants has shared her anger at accusations of racism after she reported “intimidation” at the constituency office.
The staffer, who we are not naming for their safety, told GB News that she was “angry” and disappointed when charities and NGOs accused Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer of sharing “racist stereotypes.”
The Teesside Tory spoke at Prime Minister’s Questions on Oct. 18, where she told Rishi Sunak that she wanted asylum seekers with rejected applications “expelled.”
She said: “Every week my office is besieged by asylum seekers, my staff are intimidated by young men.
A Tory MP claims her office was 'besieged' by illegal migrants
GB NEWS
“The fact is most of them are illegal migrants who should be expelled.”
She urged Sunak to “ensure that people who have no right to be here are expelled.”
Mrs Mortimer, who has represented the seat since a 2021 byelection, said: “Enough is enough. I want these people out of Hartlepool now.”
Her comments attracted criticism from The Mary Thompson Fund, a refugees charity in the Tees Valley, that said her remarks fuelled racism and hate.
Its chair told the BBC that her comments were “totally ridiculous.”
Rosie Carter, director of policy at Hope not Hate, told the Guardian that: “Playing up to racist stereotypes about asylum seekers and scaremongering is simply not acceptable or responsible behaviour from an MP.”
Jill Mortimer said her office was ''besieged'
GB NEWS
She added: “Hope has recorded a sharp increase in far-right anti-migrant activity around the country, which can tear apart communities. This is made worse when politicians do not act with care and calm in difficult situations.”
GB News met with Mrs Mortimer’s staff in their constituency office to investigate the claims made by the MP in the Commons.
This broadcaster saw extensive CCTV footage that supported claims that groups of men had regularly gathered outside the office and attempted to gain access without an appointment.
When asked how she felt about how her experiences were described as “playing up to racist stereotypes” and “scaremongering,” a female staffer told GB News: “It makes me angry and it’s disappointing as well. All that was said is we shouldn’t have to deal with this many illegal asylum seekers. That’s fine.
“I don’t understand how that’s racist because it doesn’t point out anybody’s race. It doesn’t point out anybody’s color. It doesn’t point out where people have come from.”
When asked if she thought the critics were prioritising political correctness over her safety, she said: “I think they’re prioritizing political correctness over the safety of anybody, it’s not just over the safety of women, is it? It’s like we don’t matter.”
She continued: “We’re just here to serve. But what’s going to happen if something happens to us? Are they going to come in and do it instead?
“Or are they going to say, oh, well, you know, that shouldn’t have happened. You know, how far does it have to go?
“Do we have to be hurt? Is that what they want? They want somebody to be hurt so that we can then say, ‘Oh, well, actually she probably wasn’t racist.’
“Or are they going to say well she deserved it because she was racist?”
The Mary Thompson Fund and Hope Not Hate were contacted for comment.