Swindon's MPs voted in favour of the government's controversial Illegal Immigration Bill on Monday.

Both Justin Tomlinson and Sir Robert Buckland voted to give the bill, set out by Suella Braverman amid much speculation over its legality, its second reading.

But in his speech in the House, Mr Buckland made it plain he had reservations about the legislation as it is currently written.

Both he and his North Swindon counterpart were among the 312 MPs, nearly all Conservatives, who voted to give the second reading to the bill, which would make it impossible for anyone coming to the UK through extra-legal routes to claim asylum as a refugee or assistance under modern slavery legislation.

But the former justice secretary said aspects of the bill needed improvement as he spoke in the parliamentary debate: “From asylum seekers I speak to in my constituency, and I do so regularly, it is simply cheaper to come in on small boats than it is to come here by other means at the moment, and herein lies the source of the problem.

“The government is seeking once again to use law where I believe it is primarily operations that matter more than anything, particularly the ability of this country to strike sensible agreements—not just with France, but with other members of the European Union—to have a managed system of return.

"Frankly, a quota system would make eminent sense in dealing with what is an international problem.

"We came together on Ukraine. Why on earth can we not come together on this?”

Although Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his government would offer more legal routes to claim asylum if people would stop trying to cross to the UK in small boats, Mr Buckland said the government should do more now.

“We have to do more on safe and legal routes," he said in the debate.

"In fact, doing that would strengthen the government’s case against those people who are choosing small boats.

"It is as plain as a pikestaff to me. However, that must happen in tandem with this legislation."

Mr Buckland, who left the cabinet when Rishi Sunak took over from Liz Truss last year, expressed concern about a clause in the bill that gives the Home Secretary the power to detain and deport children who enter the UK illegally: “My strong suggestion, when we come to amend the Bill, is to ditch that clause and look carefully at the way we deal with unaccompanied children, families and women."