Michael Howard: I wouldn't go that far

I referred to proposals, reported earlier this week, that children of asylum seekers would be taken into care to force their parents to leave the country, as "despicable". I said this was using the children of asylum seekers as pawns to cover up the government's failure to get a grip on its asylum chaos.

In fact, Tony Blair and David Blunkett have gone further than any civilised government should go. These are strong words. They may take some by surprise. But they reflect the strength of my feelings.