From Dr Ros Brown, Ben Rhydding

ON Tuesday a group met for the first time to discuss Ilkley’s response to the Ukraine crisis. At the same time as local people were volunteering their best efforts to support those fleeing the conflict MPs were voting in parliament on whether to accept the Lords Amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill. Our MP Robbie Moore had the opportunity to vote for the Amendments and stand up for the efforts of local people by seeking to underpin them with appropriate legislation. He chose not to.

On his website it says ‘Robbie Moore has praised the United Kingdom’s humanitarian support for Ukraine, at both a local and national level, and urged everyone to do all they can to support the Ukrainian people at this time.’ Yesterday Robbie had his opportunity to do this but chose not to.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, summed up what I imagine many local people who have written to Robbie Moore about this issue may be feeling right now. She said of the votes on Tuesday:

“Today, Tory MPs voted to make it a criminal offence for Ukrainian families to arrive in the UK without the right papers, with a penalty of up to four years in prison. At a time when the British people have made clear that we need to help Ukrainian refugees, this is deeply shameful.

The Conservatives also voted against the international Refugee Convention, which Britain helped to draft in the wake of the second world war, calling on all countries to do their bit to help those fleeing the horrors of war. This should be a source of pride and for the British government to reject it when war is raging in Europe once more is inexcusable.

More than 3 million people have left Ukraine since the Russian invasion, many of them children and elderly people. They need support and solidarity from all countries. The Home Office has already been far too slow to help. Today’s votes make that much worse. Britain is better than this.”

The Bill now returns to the Lords.

At Tuesday’s meeting it was observed that Ilkley people are good at lobbying and will always find a way to help whatever the odds. In the light of this I urge people to write to Robbie Moore. Please ask him to change his mind and use his position to support legislation and the additional infrastructure and funding that will support the most vulnerable. This is needed, beyond the money provided to local authorities under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, to support our local authority, health, education, social care and housing services in meeting existing local needs. As people continue to step up to meet local needs and respond with compassion to the suffering in our world, national and local politics and healthy democracy play a vital part in this decision-making process.