A TORY MP has come under fire after suggesting his constituency shouldn’t be made to accept Ukrainian refugees because it has already accepted enough migrants from eastern Europe.

The UK Government has been criticised for refusing to waive visa requirements for those fleeing the Russian invasion. Boris Johnson has instead announced he will allow Ukrainians living in the UK to bring in "adult parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings" in addition to immediate family members, with around 200,000 people thought to be eligible for the scheme.

Yet former minister Sir Edward Leigh congratulated Home Secretary Priti Patel for her “proportionate response” to the conflict as he recited bogus claims about immigration. 

Speaking in the Commons, the MP for Gainsborough said: “May I actually congratulate her on her proportionate response. I think we have to remember that unlike the rest of Europe we have uniquely liberal labour laws and we speak English so we are the country of choice for mass immigration.

“And therefore I do urge her to as well as listen to all these humanitarian voices, to listen to the voices of people from for instance in Lincolnshire, where we feel we have done really our bit in terms of migration from eastern Europe where we are under extreme pressure in terms of housing and jobs.

“I know it is difficult to say but we have to be honest about this – and may I therefore be a correcting voice in this and congratulate her on her humanitarian but proportionate response and not throwing away the immigration rule book?”

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon rubbishes Tory excuse for refusing to help more Ukrainian refugees

Priti Patel replied: “We want to do the right thing by the people of Ukraine. There is no question about that.

“I have spoken about security checks, the significance of them but also the fact that we are giving people who want to come to the United Kingdom the chance to live their lives freely, access public funds but also work and with that of course, people will need documentation and we have a system in place for all that.”

SNP MP Gavin Newlands says he was stunned by the comments and referenced Leigh’s Roman Catholic faith.

Responding afterwards on Twitter, he wrote: “I was there. I heard it. Still not quite sure I can believe he said it.

“He writes a blog called ‘Thoughts from a Christian perspective’. I'd suggest he isn't exemplifying many Christian values in this contribution. #StandWithUkraine #RefugeesWelcome”.

Speaking on Wednesday, Nicola Sturgeon issued a plea to Number 10 to make it easier for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict to come to the UK.

Describing the UK Government’s reluctance to waive visa requirements as shameful, Sturgeon said: “The position of the UK Government has moved in the right direction in the last couple of days, but it hasn’t gone nearly far enough.

“I would appeal to the Prime Minister to stop moving forward incrementally, stop having to be dragged into a better position.

“Follow the example of the European Union who’s opened its doors and said people from Ukraine will get entry and the right to stay for three years, follow the example of Ireland as they drop visa requirements, open the doors of the UK to people fleeing this horror in Ukraine and sort the paperwork later.

“That’s the humanitarian thing to do, it’s what we need to do to give life to the words of support that everybody is articulating right now. But it’s also the practical and necessary thing to do.”