logo
Asylum hotels latest: Labour in turmoil with more councils eyeing legal action after Epping site shut

Asylum hotels latest: Labour in turmoil with more councils eyeing legal action after Epping site shut

Independent2 days ago
Labour is in turmoil as more councils consider launching legal challenges over the government's use of asylum hotels.
The chaos facing Sir Keir Starmer comes after Epping Forest District Council won an interim High Court injunction to stop asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Hotel.
The council successfully argued the site had become a 'feeding ground for unrest' in recent weeks after a series of violent protests resulted in multiple arrests and saw police officers injured.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper other councils would make similar applications for migrant accommodation in their areas.
people being housed in their area.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Beep if you think Starmer's a w***er' sign removed by police after constant honking
‘Beep if you think Starmer's a w***er' sign removed by police after constant honking

The Sun

time27 minutes ago

  • The Sun

‘Beep if you think Starmer's a w***er' sign removed by police after constant honking

POLICE removed a banner saying 'beep if you think Keir Starmer is a w**ker' after constant honking from motorists created a noise nuisance for neighbours. Locals said the sign created the 'loudest dual carriageway in Britain' before a patrolling officer was alerted to it. 2 2 It was put up on the A4 Portway in Bristol on Wednesday, while a second banner read: 'Stop the boats.' Local resident Mike Turner commented: 'It's louder than The Rolling Stones at the moment. "I think it's a sign!' Another wrote: 'Loudest dual carriageway in Britain'. It is understood there were no official noise complaints to the police. There was one call pointing out that the signs were put up. An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: 'A patrolling officer was alerted to two signs on overbridges on the busy A4 Portway on Wednesday 20 August. 'Due to the potential they could result in a distraction to drivers, as well as a nuisance to nearby residents, they were removed.'

Hotels braced for a wave of protests: Up to 30 targeted as residents turn up heat to follow Epping precedent
Hotels braced for a wave of protests: Up to 30 targeted as residents turn up heat to follow Epping precedent

Daily Mail​

time27 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Hotels braced for a wave of protests: Up to 30 targeted as residents turn up heat to follow Epping precedent

A wave of protests are set to sweep the country this weekend targeting migrant hotels. Anti-immigration campaigners are looking to ride on the back of this week's landmark judgment that saw the High Court order the removal of migrants from a hotel in Epping, Essex. Protests at up to 30 hotels are believed to be planned as communities seek to replicate the ruling for The Bell Hotel, which, pending an appeal, must be closed within weeks. The hotel had been at the centre of protests after an asylum seeker living there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl, which he denies. Hotels in Cannock, Chichester and Tamworth are among those expected to be targeted by demonstrations, with anti-racism groups already organising counter-protests in 15 locations across the three-day Bank Holiday weekend. They are prepared to turn up tonight in the likes of Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Leicester, Leeds, Orpington, Perth, Aberdeen and Altrincham. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has used Epping as a rallying cry, saying: 'Let's hold peaceful protests outside hotels and put pressure on councils to go to court to try to get illegal immigrants out.' On Tuesday, a judge granted a temporary injunction against migrants being housed at The Bell Hotel after Epping Forest council argued that it was necessary for 'the safety of nearby residents' and to reduce the threat of 'violent protests'. As it tried, unsuccessfully, to intervene in the case at the eleventh hour, the Home Office argued that granting Epping's application 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. The ruling threatens to collapse Labour's asylum system as protesters take to the streets and councils across the country prepare to hit the Home Office with copycat litigation over the use of hotels in their areas. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has written to all Conservative councils pledging support for any legal action, while Reform UK's leaders have encouraged people to protest at their local asylum hotels. But anti-racism groups have warned the ruling sets a 'dangerous precedent', with Stand Up To Racism saying that it will 'embolden the far-Right to call more protests outside hotels housing refugees'. Labour grandee Lord Falconer urged the Home Office to appeal against the Epping judgment on Thursday as he admitted the ruling 'causes great problems' for the Government. The peer, who served as justice secretary under Sir Tony Blair and as Sir Keir Starmer's shadow attorney general, said it 'gives rise to the expectation that some asylum hotels can be closed'. Lord Falconer said the ruling presents Labour with a 'very troublesome issue, namely does demonstrations outside these hotels lead to it being more likely that they will be closed'. Urging the Government 'very strongly' to appeal, he told Radio 4's Today programme: 'It puts the courts and the politicians in a difficult position. 'There should be clarity on that and the authority in relation to that can only come from the Court of Appeal.' The Home Office still could not say whether or not it plans to appeal on Thursday. But pressure was mounting on the Government as all Tory councillors were sent a draft motion, produced by the Conservative Research Department and the Conservative Councillors' Association, 'strongly urging' them to follow Epping's example. It included instructions on how to influence their local authorities. Stevenage became the latest Labour-run council to say it would consider taking legal action over an asylum hotel in the Hertfordshire borough as the internal revolt grew. The council had already warned a Novotel hotel it must stop housing asylum seekers or face planning enforcement action, and on Thursday said it was 'actively investigating alleged breaches' as it considered legal action similar to Epping's. Ministers were scrambling to find contingency plans to house migrants, with officials looking at houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), empty tower blocks, disused teacher training colleges and old student accommodation as alternatives. The asylum minister, Dame Angela Eagle, told the Commons home affairs committee in June that the Government had shifted its focus from old military barracks to smaller locations such as tower blocks. However, the Guardian reported officials are still considering placing people removed from hotels in the RAF Wethersfield base in Essex and Napier Barracks in Kent. Meanwhile, it was also reported that asylum accommodation contractors working for the Home Office have contacted property specialists, seeking 5,000 residential units in towns and cities to house migrants. But a Government minister could not answer when quizzed on where asylum seekers should go instead of hotels on Thursday. Asked 'where will they go?', schools minister Catherine McKinnell said: 'Well, I mean, that's a big question.'

Army spends £118m on more systems to shoot down missiles and drones
Army spends £118m on more systems to shoot down missiles and drones

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Army spends £118m on more systems to shoot down missiles and drones

The Army has bought more air defence missile systems with the capability to shoot down cruise missiles and drones, the Ministry of Defence has said. The £118 million move will double the number of British-made Land Ceptor systems available to the British Army. It said they could be deployed both in the UK and overseas. The new equipment will form part of Sky Sabre, a state-of-the-art defence system that can intercept munitions and aircraft. It replaced the previous Rapier system, which had run since the 1970s. The MRAD (medium range air defence) system will be made by manufacturer MBDA in Bolton. The Government said 140 jobs will be supported by the move. Defence minister Luke Pollard said: 'We are delivering on the strategic defence review by equipping our armed forces with state-of-the art equipment to help keep us safe. Doubling our deployable Sky Sabre capability will strengthen the UK's air defences, protect UK forces abroad, and deter our adversaries. 'Through this investment we are supporting over 100 jobs across the UK, with more to come.' The Land Ceptor systems are able to hit a tennis-ball sized object which is travelling at twice the speed of sound. The Sky Sabre operation can control 24 missiles at one time. As part of the system, the Land Ceptors operate alongside radar and a wider command and control centre. However, they are also able to be used on their own. Sky Sabre was recently tested as part of a Nato exercise in the Outer Hebrides, the Ministry of Defence said. It has already been deployed in Poland, as part of Nato operations with on eye on Russia. Commanding Officer of the 16th Regiment Royal Artillery, Lt Col James Boutle, said: 'Sky Sabre represents a step change in the UK's ground-based air defence capability. 'As the Army's most advanced air defence system, it provides a powerful shield against modern airborne threats, from fast jets to precision-guided weapons and drones. 'For 16th Regiment Royal Artillery, operating Sky Sabre is both a privilege and a responsibility – ensuring we are trained and ready to strengthen the UK's contribution to Nato when called upon. 'As part of this, we work hand-in-hand with industry partners, such as MBDA here in the UK, to continuously optimise the system to ensure it remains on the cutting edge – a collaboration that guarantees we stay ahead of adversary technology.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store