MP Margot James slams fellow Tory MP for supporting HIV migrant ban

Jan 30 2014
Written by Scott Roberts

Margot James has criticised fellow Conservative MP Dr Sarah Wollaston for supporting plans to restrict people with HIV and Hepatitis B from entering the UK.

Amendment NC21 of the Immigration Bill has been introduced by Dr Phillip Lee, the Conservative MP for Bracknell who is also a former doctor. It has the support of several other Tory MPs.

It is unlikely to pass or even be debated due to the large number of other amendments tabled.

Ms James, Conservative MP for Stourbridge, tweeted PinkNews to say the amendment would infringe on existing UN declarations.

@pinknews Govt cdn’t and wdn’t ban immigrants on HIV status, UK Government has signed up to the UN declaration against such discrimination

— margot james (@margotjamesmp) January 30, 2014

The gay MP also criticised Dr Sarah Wollaston, the MP for Totnes, on Twitter.

@drwollastonmp Why are you and colleagues trying to ban people who are HIV positive from the UK? Sounds like back to the eighties to me

— margot james (@margotjamesmp) January 30, 2014

And Tory MP Dr Phillip Lee.

@DrPhillipLeeMP Yes, HIV a public health issue, education, HIV testing, safe sex + support for those affected are needed not discrimination — margot james (@margotjamesmp) January 30, 2014

There has been cross party condemnation of proposals by backbench Tories to restrict the movement of HIV positive migrants.

Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister Chris Bryant tweeted that it was a discriminatory idea.

Tories have tabled amendment 2 immigration bill to ban those with hepatitis B or HIV from uk. Dr Lee says he means it to protect LGBT people

— Chris Bryant (@ChrisBryantMP) January 30, 2014

The assumption behind the Tory attempt to ban HIV+ people from entering uk seems to be that they will infect others.

— Chris Bryant (@ChrisBryantMP) January 30, 2014

Liberal Democrat MP Julian Huppert described it as “astonishing”.

There’s a rather astonishing amendment, NC21, would require people applying for visas to prove not HIV+ or have HepB. Won’t pass #fb

— Julian Huppert (@julianhuppert) January 30, 2014

HIV charities say they are alarmed by the amendment, which would infringe on a number of existing human rights laws and United Nations declarations.

Earlier, the Home Office distanced itself from the amendment, saying it does not reflect existing government policy and that it has no plans to introduce health screening for conditions such as HIV or hepatitis.