The appalling chemical attack, suspected of being perpetrated by Abdul Ezedi, an Afghan who is understood to have come to the UK in the back of a lorry in 2016, and was granted asylum in 2020, has led to a predictable outcry from Conservative politicians, who insist that the UK is a “soft touch”. They demand tough measures.
Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, called for the case to be a “watershed moment”, writing: “Either you want this tragic farce to end, and are willing to pursue the tough measures necessary, or you don’t” – seemingly throwing down the gauntlet to the prime minister.
