Conservative MP Katie Lam scored a political own goal in the House of Commons on Monday after ‘exposing the track record of the Tory government.”
The MP for Weald of Kent, who is considered something of a rising star in the Tory party, was speaking in the Commons as MPs put questions to ministers from the Home Office, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
At one point during the session, Lam brought up the subject of youth employment.
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Pointing to statistics, Lam told ministers: “The latest estimates indicate that 627,000 non-EU migrants, mostly from low income countries, came to the UK between December 2024 and December 2025.
“Meanwhile 61,000 Brits aged 16 to 24 left the UK, as did another 65,000 aged 25 to 34.”
Lam said that “in recent years, for every young Briton who has been employed, 27 young migrants from outside the EU have also joined the workforce.”
The opposition assistant whip claimed “mass migration has wrecked economic opportunities for young people” and asked Mahmood whether she accepted this.
In response, the home secretary pointed out that the employment statistics used by Lam runs from January 2020 to December 2025.
“So I congratulate her on exposing the track record of the Tory government,” she added.