WE didn’t vote for this and we’ll resist – that’s the message Scottish politicians have sent to Priti Patel after she insisted the British public wants ramped-up dawn raids.

In a speech at a Tory think-tank event yesterday, Patel refused to acknowledge the widespread outcry in Scotland caused by her department’s return to “dawn raids”.

And the Home Secretary signalled she’ll take a tough line on anyone who seeks to disrupt or prevent immigration enforcement operations after hundreds of peaceful protesters prevented the detention of two men in Kenmure Street, Glasgow, earlier this month.

Sumit Sehdev and Lakhvir Singh, a chef and a mechanic, are suspected of having overstayed their visas after more than a decade in the UK.They were let go after eight hours and now have new legal representation.

READ MORE: Priti Patel issues warning after Kenmure Street protest in Glasgow

Meanwhile, advice on how to disrupt, document or prevent immigration enforcement teams from taking people into detention have been shared widely through social media networks and the Home Office has described the crowds in Kenmure Street, which included mothers with children, as a “mob”.

In a keynote speech for Tory think-tank Bright Blue, Patel said the UK has been “frustrated by those who know how to play the system” and sought to link immigration enforcement operations to the removal of serious criminal offenders.

There has been no suggestion that the Kenmure Street men are guilty of any such criminality.

She said more than 800 foreign national offenders have been deported since the start of the year, “but there is much more to do”. Patel went on: “I have a message to those who seek to disrupt our enforcement officers – they should think about whether their actions may be preventing murderers, rapists, high-harm offenders from being removed from our communities and they should think long and hard about the victims of these crimes.

“We will not allow such disruption to prevail. Dismissing public concern about this state of affairs is monstrous. Refusing to deal with it would be a gross dereliction of duty. Enough is enough. We are listening to the British people and we will deliver for them.”

Patel insisted the Brexit referendum result and her government’s general election win has given them a mandate to pursue its immigration agenda. However, she didn’t acknowledge the Remain vote in Scotland or her party’s far lower general election support here, where the SNP emerged as the largest party.

The National:

Asked directly about the fact that the Kenmure Street protest shows that not all of the public agrees with the Conservatives’ approach to migration, she said: “In response to Glasgow and the removal of people that had no legal right to be in the UK, I’ve already said my remarks today, we will continue to do that. That is effectively what the British public have voted for, what they want and actually it’s part of my legal duty as well.”

Charity Positive Action in Housing has said that Sehdev and Singh “are categorically not criminals”.

During the speech, Patel also claimed “’Global Britain’ isn’t just a slogan, it’s a philosophy that underpins everything we do” while championing her New Plan for Immigration, which has been criticised by the UN. Using the Brexiteer phrase “take back control”, she also outlined plans to stop the use of ID cards used by a large number of EU citizens this year – as the settled status scheme deadline ends – but did not say how this will work.

Drawing on her own background, she said her family had benefited from immigration from Uganda and hit out at those on the left who “have the audacity to think that they own the monopoly of thought on race and immigration”. She said “successive governments have failed to tackle immigration” and described the system her party has been in charge of for 11 years as “broken”.

The National:

SNP immigration spokesperson, Anne McLaughlin MP (above left), said: “Scotland absolutely did not vote for these cruel immigration raids or any of the other toxic Tory migration policies. Nor did we vote for the Tory government or their hard Brexit that is making the UK more isolationist as the weeks go on.

“Indeed, the people of Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland have made it abundantly clear that they will not stand by and let the Home Office ramp up these inhumane raids. We have made it clear we want a humane migration and asylum system that works for Scotland based on fairness, dignity and respect – just like our social security system. Priti Patel’s speech today made clear that Scotland isn’t going to get that from Westminster.”

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “The Home Secretary claims this is what the British public voted for. Well it’s certainly not what the Scottish or Glaswegian public voted for.

“Scotland can do so much better.”