'Frustration' in Hull communities remain a year on from UK riots
Mr Renton was on a trip to Bridlington when missiles were thrown at the hotel and the adjacent train station, which was forced to shut with workers barricading themselves in to prevent rioters surging onto the concourse and platforms."All the trains got cancelled and it cost us a lot of money to get back," said the grandfather.While Mr Renton does not condone the violence, he believes "British people have had enough" of those arriving on smalls boats from France and being housed in hotels.It is one of the most divisive issues in the UK.More than 25,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel since the start of the year, according to the Home Office.It is the first time the 25,000 threshold has been reached since records began in 2018.
Feelings of frustration and anger centred on immigration housing have remained high in parts of Hull, though some show empathy and understanding.The numbers of asylum seekers in UK hotels had been increasing since 2020, and reached a peak of more than 50,000 in 2023. In March 2025, the asylum hotel population stood at 32,345.Ministers previously said the government wanted to end the use of hotels by 2029 and was trying to move people into cheaper types of accommodation.Mr Renton is not alone in his views, the same are echoed by other pubgoers. George Ketley watched disturbing scenes of the hostility and rage unfold in his home city via TV. Like Mr Renton he condemns the violence, but said at its core was the issue of asylum accommodation."It's just disgusting when we - working people - can't get a house and they're putting them in hotels. It's wrong."Hull City Council leader Mike Ross said he understood the "frustrations" over the Royal Hotel housing asylum seekers "for quite some time" and had recently written to the government requesting the hotel stop being used."They're in the process of closing down hotels across the country. We think this [Royal Hotel] should be one that closes now."
Sitting on a nearby table outside the same pub terrace is former serviceman Jodie and his friend Matt.After serving his country, Jodie "got into a bad place" and spent time in jail. A single parent, his life descended into further chaos when he became homeless with his six-year-old son in tow.Jodie said he sympathised with the rioters, having felt let down by the government due to the lack of support for him and his son when they "struggled" with homelessness."I'm not going to lie, I might have been there if it weren't for my little boy."[I've] not had one bit of help off any kind of government."His friend Matt maintains he is "not a racist", before saying: "I think the frustration is still there."These guys are coming over here... living for free."When I work for myself, I'm paying my taxes and going out every day on the roof. That's the bit that gets me."However, he believes prison was justified for some rioters but "the actual lengths [were] absurd".
According to Humberside Police, there have been 78 convictions relating to the disorder and a further nine adults who are charged but yet to be "dealt with by the courts".While that might provide some comfort to those affected by the rioting, others still feel they are looking over their shoulders.Warda Seihili is a support worker at Welcome House, which offers help and support to asylum seekers and refugees.She said attitudes had changed for the better despite the air of negativity towards migrants, many of whom were fleeing warzones or "dangerous situations"."Some people are nice, they help. They give us opportunity. But some people say 'go back to your country'."I feel like they don't like me and I'm scared."They don't know that we work hard, pay council tax, we pay for everything. They think that we came here just to take the money and the benefit from the government."
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘The fairest way' or a ‘political disaster'? Readers split on whether Reeves should raise income tax
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She and Starmer need to come clean and articulate the hangover of Covid furlough, problems caused by Ukraine and Trump, and put up taxes across the board – such as freezing allowances, increasing income tax and national insurance, equalising capital gains tax with income tax and making it liable for NI, reforming council tax on high-value properties. Starmer and Reeves need to be making sure those with the broadest shoulders bear their fair share of the burden. Kernow What do you think – should Rachel Reeves raise income tax, or find the money elsewhere? Share your thoughts in the comments below. VAT is the better option Why income tax? VAT is the much better option as it is a consumption tax. It is easy to adjust for – you raise the tax-free threshold for the poorest in society to compensate. It doesn't affect business significantly. As it taxes consumption, this encourages saving and investment. Kwame Tax unearned income Tax unearned income in line with income tax brackets. This would be worth £16 billion a year. Stop subsidising private companies completely. Apply a void tax to all properties empty for more than six months. Introduce a system whereby renovations etc. are exempt. Some savings ideas – centralise all NHS procurement and HR. Have a locum register for nurses and stop using expensive agencies (same salaries for temp nurses, though). Slightly Tipsy Max Align capital gains tax with income tax Since the wealthy get most of their income from gains, why not align capital gains tax rates to income tax rates, as is done in Australia? That would bring in around £8 billion a year. In addition, replacing council tax and stamp duty with a French-style proportional property tax could generate an additional £3bn–£4bn per year, with even more potential under a land value tax framework. There's plenty of scope for a chancellor and a prime minister who aren't afraid of their own shadows. Pomerol95 Cut waste before raising taxes Still no sign of any reduction in government wasted expenditure – now in the billions each month. No use Starmer looking serious about income tax rises. He refuses to act to curb expenditure or legislate for change! SPCK Political disaster for Labour A rise in income tax across the board would be a political disaster for Labour. Farage would walk into No. 10 on the ticket of 'never believe Labour's promises'. fastyellosaab No changes to basic rate expected The last UK Chancellor to increase the basic rate of income tax was Denis Healey back in 1975. Do not expect any changes to the rate, even though it would actually be the fairest way to raise revenue. Expect tinkering with allowances and other tax measures, which are easier to 'sell' politically. Blackkbeard's host People fear job loss more than a tax rise Really? Does anyone worry like that – that their income tax might go up by 1 per cent or they may have to pay a bit more for petrol? That's not what keeps people awake at night when there are so many worse possibilities, like being made redundant and having no income at all, which could happen to most of us at any time. Chrisw27 Commitment to growth needed Sorry, but what does stabilising the economy mean? Jobs, SMEs, house prices are falling like there's no tomorrow. Extra taxes are not going to make things better. We need a government committed to growth – massive projects to get us a green new economy that will create jobs and prosperity. Support for SMEs to grow faster. Conversations about big hard issues like how do we pay for the NHS in a world of an ageing population, and where the care is going to come from. Instead, we have a continuation of business as usual. I challenge myself to see one policy that is different to what we would have if Rishi were in power. I struggle. Boring75 Taxes rises should have been in the manifesto Good news – there should have been tax rises in the manifesto. 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Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
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Telegraph
28 minutes ago
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