PMQ: Questions Around Border Safety and the Glenfell Tower Fire Scandal

The United Kingdom Parliament met together for the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions Time. Labor Party and Opposition Leader Keir Starmer asked multiple questions to Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader Boris Johnson regarding border safety and the Grenfell Tower Fire Scandal.

Starmer started out by praising that the UK has reached 10 million vaccinations. However, there has been a new COVID-19 South African variant. He said that one of Johnson’s advisors told him that if he shuts down the border, it will mitigate its spread.

He asked to know why Johnson has not done it.

Johnson responded by saying that he was not given a recommendation for a complete shutdown. However, as he had mentioned in the past, the UK has one of the toughest border security measures in the world. He said that anyone that comes from South Africa is required to have a test done before they arrive, and must be in quarantine for ten days.

“It is illegal to travel from South Africa or all the countries on the current red list,” he said.

Starmer questioned his statement and asked him to clarify his answer. He asked him if quarantining all arrivals would or would not affect the variant and its spread.

Johnson responded by saying that shutting down the border is not practical. 250,000 businesses rely on imports and 45% of the UK’s food comes European countries.

He reiterated his point that the UK has one of the toughest regimes in the world and has worked very hard at vaccinating the UK citizens.

Starmer responded by saying that it is true that there are exceptions. However, 21,000 people are entering into the UK per day and new variants exist while the borders remains open.

“The Prime Minister’s new border arrangements are still weeks away from being implemented, and will only affect direct flights from some countries,” he said.

After the first wave of the pandemic, only 1% of virus cases came from China, while 62% came indirectly from France and Spain with no restrictions.

The topic shifted as Starmer spoke about the cladding issues in flats. Three and a half years have passed since seventy-two people were killed in the Glenfell Fire Tower in 2017.

He asked Johnson on why 100,000 people still live with unsafe cladding even though its been years since the fire has happened.

Johnson agreed that the situation needs to be fixed. He said that 95% of high rise buildings are unsafe. However, they are all currently underway for being fixed, and he will have a full package addressing everything later on.

Starmer said that Johnson’s actions are not working as people are still living in unsafe conditions. A lot of people are also dealing with financial burdens.

He brought up the example of a doctor who is currently on the frontlines fighting COVID-19. However, this doctor has had unsafe cladding at home and is expected to pay 52,000 pounds to get it fixed.

He wanted Johnson to answer on whether he would or would not have to pay his bill.

Johnson made clear that no lease owner will not have to pay for faulty repairs that they have not caused. He is setting up a 1 billion pound safety fund that has processed 3,000 claims. He hopes that the doctor will get his bill processed.

Other Members of Parliament asked question to Johnson during the remainder of the PMQs.