Kemi Badenoch suggests asylum seekers should be housed in 'camps'
The leader of the Conservatives has been speaking to communities about immigration in Epping, Essex, following multiple protests at a hotel in the town alleged to be housing asylum seekers.
During her visit, Ms Badenoch sat down with local residents at the Black Lion Pub to discuss their concerns - and appeared to propose housing migrants in "camps".
The leader of the opposition said: "Is it possible for us to set up camps and police that, rather than bringing all of this hassle into communities?
"As a party, we need to also hear from the community about what you think the solutions are. We don't have all the answers; it's important that we make sure that the community is part of the problem solved."
The MP for North West Essex said that politicians must "turn things around very quickly".
She explained: "We cannot use rules from 1995, or 2005, or even 2015 for 2025. Our world is changing very quickly, and we need to adapt to it."
0:54
Epping has seen numerous protests against mass immigration held outside the town's The Bell Hotel, some of which have turned violent. Local politicians have called on the government to shut the hotel.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also accused Essex Police of "bussing in" counter-protesters, claims which the force called "categorically wrong".
Addressing the protests, Ms Badenoch said there is a "big difference" between local communities protesting "about something that's happening in their midst" and what she termed "professional protesters - who turn up at lots of different events".
2:12
The Tory leader said these are "not equivalent" and seemed to imply local people should have a priority over those travelling to protest.
She said: "This is your home, this is your community, and that in my view is quite important. People should have some kind of precedence in their own communities versus other people randomly passing through, otherwise we start to change the nature of what protest is."
Ms Badenoch also alleged that "people now use protest as a cover for troublemaking".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Spectator
21 minutes ago
- Spectator
Tories split on Ricky Jones' verdict
The decision to clear Ricky Jones of encouraging violent disorder has not gone down well with many senior politicians. Footage of the suspended Labour councillor went viral last August after he suggested that far-right protesters should have their throats slit. Jones, 58, drew his finger across his throat and called demonstrators 'disgusting Nazi fascists'. On Friday, jurors found him not guilty after just half an hour of deliberations. Many were quick to contrast it to the Lucy Connolly case, whereby the wife of a Tory politician was jailed for 31 months during the Southport riots after writing 'set fire to all the… hotels [housing asylum seekers]… for all I care'. Some senior Conservatives certainly see it this way. Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, made that comparison explicit, writing that 'the development of two tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming.' He added that ministers 'must come forward with plans to ensure justice is handed out equally, regardless of the background or views of the perpetrator' but 'this Labour government seems to be quite happy with two tier justice'. His colleague James Cleverly, the Housing spokesman, called the verdict 'unacceptable', writing on X that 'decisions like this are adding to the anger that people feel and amplifying the belief that there isn't a dispassionate criminal justice system'. Clearly, this decision is a controversial one. But there is a crucial difference between the Jones trial and the punishment meted out to Lucy Connolly: she pleaded guilty so she did not receive a jury trial. Had she done so, she might well have been acquitted. Take the case of former Royal Marine Jamie Michael. Charged with stirring up racial hatred after Southport, he was acquitted by his jury after just 17 minutes. It was only five weeks' ago that Robert Jenrick was leading a big campaign against proposals to limit jury trials. For some of his fellow Tories to now rush to condemn them, off the back of one verdict, is an overreaction, given the essential pressure valve they function. All this matters because judicial reform is likely to be a cornerstone of the next government of the right. Kemi Badenoch is reviewing how Britain to leave the European Court of Human Rights; others want her to go much further. The last Tory administration found itself fighting endless battles in the courts, in a fruitless bid to halt illegal migration. Picking the right battles over the right principles is essential if the next government is to avoid repeating that fate.
The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Labour MP is forced to resign as UK's trade envoy to Turkey over ‘unacceptable' Northern Cyprus trip
A LABOUR MP has been forced to resign as the UK's trade envoy to Turkey amid controversy over a visit to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. Afzal Khan, who represents Manchester Rusholme, had stepped down from his position on Friday, a government spokesman has told the BBC. Mr Khan said the trip to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognised by the UK Government, was to visit his nephew and to receive an honorary degree. He said he had paid for the trip himself. The act of freelance diplomacy riled the official Cypriot government in the south who described his actions as "absolutely condemnable and unacceptable". Turkish troops have occupied the northern section of the Mediterranean island since 1974. Shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton told the BBC that she welcomed Mr Khan's resignation, but said Sir Keir Starmer should have sacked him earlier. 1
Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Nearly nine in ten voters support deporting foreign sex offenders
Almost nine in 10 voters think foreign sex offenders should be deported, a new poll has revealed. A huge majority of Britons across all ages and political parties agree that migrants who commit a sexual offence should be kicked out. It comes amid a wider debate about the impacts of mass migration and controversy over alleged crimes perpetrated by asylum seekers. The survey, by Find Out Now, also found that almost four in 10 people favour restricting immigration from countries with poor women's rights. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has vowed to increase the rate of deportations and limit the avenues foreign criminals have to appeal against their removal. Earlier this year, she announced that any migrant placed on the sex offender register would be automatically prevented from claiming asylum in the UK. The pollsters asked more than 2,000 voters whether they supported the deportation of non-UK citizens who have been convicted of sex crimes. More than 87 per cent said they either 'strongly' or 'somewhat' supported removal, compared to just three per cent who said they opposed it. In total, 85 per cent of Labour voters, 96 per cent of Conservative supporters and 97 per cent of Reform backers said they favoured deportation of this kind. Find Out Now also asked the public whether they would support restricting immigration from countries 'where women have few legal rights and protections'. Just under 39 per cent of all voters said they would back such restrictions, compared with a little over a quarter who said they would oppose them. Support for tougher measures was voiced by 30 per cent of Labour voters, 52 per cent of Conservative backers and 74 per cent of Reform supporters. A total of 38 per cent of Labour supporters said they would oppose such measures. Finally, the pollsters also asked Britons whether they 'believe that immigration levels impact women's safety in your area'. Overall, 47 per cent said they believed that was the case, versus 23 per cent who did not. In total, 29 per cent of Labour voters, 58 per cent of Conservative supporters and 84 per cent of Reform backers said they felt less safe. Additionally, 43 per cent of Labour supporters said they believed their area was less safe as a result of migration. The poll was commissioned by the Women's Safety Initiative, a group set up 'to expose the dangers of uncontrolled immigration'. The group says it provides 'a space for women to voice concerns about safety, culture, and national identity without fear of censorship or judgment'. Anna McGovern, the deputy director, said: 'This data confirms what women across the country have been telling us for years – they feel less safe and they want action. I've spoken to so many women who have shared their experiences of feeling unsafe, and I include myself in that. 'Our leaders cannot continue to ignore these concerns or dismiss them as unfounded. Women's safety must be prioritised above political convenience, and this is the moment to start taking decisive steps to protect women everywhere.'
