BOTH Thurrock MPs backed the Government and voted to defeat a Labour proposal to allow 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees to come to the UK from Europe.
Labour peer Lord Dubs made the proposal and likened it to the Kindertransport scheme, which enabled children to escape Nazi-controlled areas of Europe before the Second World War.
However, ministers said that it would only encourage more refugees to come to Europe, preferring to admit youngsters from camps in and around Syria instead. The motion was defeated by 294 votes to 276 on Monday night.
Thurrock MP,, Jackie Doyle-Price and South Basildon and East Thurrock MP, Stephen Metcalfe, both toed the party line.
Just five Conservative MPs rebelled against their party’s stance and voted to allow in the refugees. A further 10 Tories abstained while UKIP, the DUP and the UUP all supported the Government.
All the Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP MPs who were in Parliament voted in favour of the proposal, but more than 20 Labour MPs abstained.
Labour is to table an amendment in the House of Lords that will propose to let in a smaller number of unaccompanied child refugees who are already in Europe.
