Georgia Pearce
Guest Reporter
Political commentator Matthew Goodwin has launched a scathing attack on Labour's decision to provide £11million in humanitarian aid to Syria following the collapse of Assad's regime.
Speaking on GB News, Goodwin questioned the source of the funding, describing the decision as "outrageous" in light of domestic spending cuts.
"You can take money off pensioners, you can smash family farms, but some tinpot dictatorship falls and suddenly there's £11million for them," he said.
The pollster aligned himself with Donald Trump's position on Middle Eastern intervention, arguing that Britain's involvement in the region "has not actually made the world a better place".
He also urged a cautious approach to the situation in Syria, suggesting the UK should "stand back" rather than becoming immediately involved.
Goodwin expressed particular concern about the groups filling the power vacuum in Syria following Assad's departure.
"These are not sort of hug a hoodie, kind of nice good people. These are Islamists, these are hard core Al-Qaeda, Isis affiliate groups," he warned.
He drew parallels with the Arab Spring, cautioning against premature optimism about democratic transitions in the region.
"We don't know who these people are, we don't know what they want. We don't know what they're going to do to people in Syria," he said.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Starmer announced the humanitarian aid package during his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which coincided with the sudden collapse of the Assad regime.
"From cutting the cost of living for hardworking British people, to building resilient supply chains or supporting communities in Britain, what happens in the Middle East matters at home", the Prime Minister said.
Goodwin also took a firm stance against accepting additional Syrian refugees into Britain. "I actually do not think we should be doing that," he stated, despite calls from some British commentators to welcome those fleeing Syria.
Instead, he advocated following the approach taken by Germany and Austria in encouraging Syrian refugees to return to their homeland.
"If people want to go home, we should facilitate that," Goodwin said.
He cited security concerns as justification for his position, claiming: "The blunt reality is we've had to, to say the unsayable again, we've had too many people from Syria involved in terrorist attacks, in stabbings, in murders in Europe since the Great Migration of 2015."
Find Out More...
Speaking on GB News, Goodwin questioned the source of the funding, describing the decision as "outrageous" in light of domestic spending cuts.
"You can take money off pensioners, you can smash family farms, but some tinpot dictatorship falls and suddenly there's £11million for them," he said.
The pollster aligned himself with Donald Trump's position on Middle Eastern intervention, arguing that Britain's involvement in the region "has not actually made the world a better place".
He also urged a cautious approach to the situation in Syria, suggesting the UK should "stand back" rather than becoming immediately involved.
Goodwin expressed particular concern about the groups filling the power vacuum in Syria following Assad's departure.
"These are not sort of hug a hoodie, kind of nice good people. These are Islamists, these are hard core Al-Qaeda, Isis affiliate groups," he warned.
He drew parallels with the Arab Spring, cautioning against premature optimism about democratic transitions in the region.
"We don't know who these people are, we don't know what they want. We don't know what they're going to do to people in Syria," he said.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Assad's hidden escape route: New footage reveals the secret tunnels underneath the tyrant's palace
- Germany halts Syrian asylum proceedings as Scholz desperately attempts to avoid surge of hard-right
- Starmer welcomes fall of Assad's 'barbaric regime' and aims to 'restore stability' in Syria
Starmer announced the humanitarian aid package during his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which coincided with the sudden collapse of the Assad regime.
"From cutting the cost of living for hardworking British people, to building resilient supply chains or supporting communities in Britain, what happens in the Middle East matters at home", the Prime Minister said.
Goodwin also took a firm stance against accepting additional Syrian refugees into Britain. "I actually do not think we should be doing that," he stated, despite calls from some British commentators to welcome those fleeing Syria.
Instead, he advocated following the approach taken by Germany and Austria in encouraging Syrian refugees to return to their homeland.
"If people want to go home, we should facilitate that," Goodwin said.
He cited security concerns as justification for his position, claiming: "The blunt reality is we've had to, to say the unsayable again, we've had too many people from Syria involved in terrorist attacks, in stabbings, in murders in Europe since the Great Migration of 2015."
Find Out More...