Latest news with #BibbyStockholm
New European
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New European
Labour's right wing takeover
In opposition, the simple answer often works: you are battling for a few seconds of airtime anywhere you can get it, and so the short, sharp, popular answer is the good one. The difference in government is that you can actually make it happen, and then you have to live with the consequences. There are few things in politics so seductive as a simple answer. A welfare benefit costing billions is going mostly to the people who don't need it? Scrap it. Reform are winning in areas with Labour MPs? Fight for their votes. The public are unhappy with asylum seekers being housed in hotels? Put them in tents instead. Trying to end the practice of placing asylum seekers in hotels, exactly the kind of socially conservative Blue Labour-esque policy the government is embracing, is a great example of those unintended consequences. The reality of living in a Travelodge room for months on end is anything but glamorous or pleasurable. It is cramped. There are no cooking facilities. You are restricted in any number of ways – but to most of us, hotels feel glamorous. They feel like a treat, and they sound expensive. The impression becomes even worse when people see hotels that used to be local landmarks filled with tourists, who spent money and created jobs, now filled with refugees. Asylum hotels attract political attention for reasons other than racism or xenophobia. So, the answer seemed simple: stop using them. The problem is Labour didn't seem to think before making this promise. Crucially, they didn't consider why the last government started using hotels so widely in the first place – and a large part of that is because many areas of the UK are already facing acute housing shortages. Read more: If Brexit is so unpopular, why is Farage winning? There simply aren't a whole bunch of places that are empty and ready to use as accommodation for asylum seekers. If there was an empty prison building, it would be getting used as a prison, given there is a desperate shortage of spaces in that system. There are no empty army bases with decent accommodation – instead, serving soldiers and their families are in horrendous, substandard housing. The last government was so desperate for alternatives to hotels that they considered clearly hopeless (and cruel) solutions like the Bibby Stockholm barge. What does that leave? It leaves housing – and as there are no secret stocks of publicly-owned homes sitting in reserve, it leaves homes that are otherwise up for rent on the private market. In some areas, people trying to rent privately were already competing with their council for homes, as local authorities are also trying to rent private properties to house families in need. Now, those private renters are having to compete with their local councils and with the Home Office or its subcontractors (often Serco). Under one scheme introduced under the last Conservative government but extended and expanded under Labour, private landlords are offered up to five years' guaranteed rent, with all property management and repairs handled by Serco, with no fees – a spectacularly good deal. Even then, in some parts of the country, councils are in bidding wars with the Home Office, in what is proving an absolute bonanza for private landlords. But it is compounding the problems of the housing shortage both for councils trying to find homes, and for ordinary working families. Housing and homeless charities are largely staffed by people like the readers of this newspaper (and the author of this article) – who would consider themselves nice, left-leaning liberals. Few feel comfortable saying that the housing crisis is about to get worse because Home Office policy means Brits are competing with asylum seekers for homes. But this is where the logic of simple answers – especially simple answers to take on Reform on their own turf – leads: at some point soon the Daily Mail will notice this scandal, and it will be front page stuff. The bid for Labour to look like they were taking tough action on the asylum system will be an absolute gift to Reform. In the wake of Labour's performance in the local elections – which was worse than most of the pollsters' worst-case scenarios – many of Labour's right are tempted not just by the simple answer, but by the simple answers that also conveniently vindicate the policies they've wanted to enact all along. Most of the skill of politics is learning how to resist these temptations, but Blue Labour has never bothered itself with political skill. Its founder, Lord Glasman – a man who Ed Miliband must surely regret giving a peerage on a daily basis – has a bizarre set of policy prescriptions, including embracing Donald Trump's 'Bennite' tariffs plans, and a scheme for the UK to form a military alliance with Ukraine to sideline France and Germany in Europe. Glasman is sufficiently bonkers that even the 'post-liberals' and Blue Labour sympathisers tend to push him to the sidelines. But his spiritual successor Jonathan Rutherford is close to Number 10 chief of staff Morgan McSweeney. Again, though, scrutinising these proposals leads to more questions than answers. Rutherford says Labour should simply tackle the issue of grooming gangs, for example. But this is a scandal largely based on historical activity, when the issue was genuinely barely discussed and the practice widespread. That omerta is gone: Channel 4, hardly a bastion of British Conservatism, did a huge documentary on it in recent weeks. It dominates the newspapers (and was largely unearthed by those mainstream papers). The actual issue is whether historical activity is best handled by a further national public inquiry or by local ones. What solution does Rutherford think makes the issue go away? What would stop Reform or others continuing to cynically exploit it? On these questions, he is strangely silent. Rutherford is no better when he's trying to set out a positive policy agenda. He believes universities expanded too much and wants many of them to close, or else to be 're-founded'. He is, of course, welcome to that belief, but in many towns across the country the university is one of the major employers – and is heavily tied in to other local businesses. The loss of universities would lead to dramatic collapses in local economies for which Labour would be blamed. How this is supposed to lead to a revival of either growth or Labour's political fortunes is anyone's guess. Britain spent 14 years with a government that failed to deliver economic growth, and failed, if anything even more calamitously, at running public services. Nothing works and everything is expensive, and that is why most of us are sick of politics and sick of politicians. As the last government failed to deliver, it got ever-more focused on owning the libs – if it couldn't make anything better, it did at least try to make sure those on the left were unhappiest of all. Labour swept to a landslide majority last year because the public were comprehensively sick of that bullshit. The vote was a resounding 'no' to the Conservative Party more than it was a 'yes' to Labour – but it was a vote for growth, for fixing public services, and for making politics normal again. Instead, Labour has been captured by a faction that seems determined to deliver the Conservative agenda, framed as a tactical approach to stop Reform. None of the strategists behind this approach seem to notice that it's what the Conservatives were doing in power, nor that it's what Labour has done for much of its first year. Instead, they rail against an imaginary Labour agenda that doesn't exist. Ed Miliband is mostly pushing an agenda for the government to boost investment in energy and jobs – yes, they happen to be green, but so is most new technology. This should be the easiest thing for them to embrace, but because they're so ingrained in the culture wars they've decided it is their enemy. Labour's attempt to find a simple answer to asylum hotels is almost inevitably going to blow up in its face, to Reform's benefit. Its efforts to take on Reform dead-on will do the same, alienating the party from its real 21st century voting base all the while – and wedding it to a tired Blue Labour faction that is more a rag-tag collection of grievances than a coherent ideology. Voters did not reject the Conservative Party to replace it with a tribute act. They will similarly not abandon Reform for Reform-lite. Labour needs to find its own tune and start dancing to that, and fast.
The Independent
19-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Yvette Cooper facing fresh pressure to close ‘prison-like' Wethersfield asylum camp
More than 70 refugee charities and human rights organisations have called on Yvette Cooper to shut a 'prison-like' former RAF base housing asylum seekers in Essex. Just weeks after the High Court found the Home Secretary acted unlawfully in housing three asylum seekers at the facility, the campaigners have piled pressure on Ms Cooper to shut the 'unsafe and unsuitable' site for good. Sir Keir Starmer this month declined to set a date for when the former RAF station will be shuttered, despite pledging to close it during the general election. And, following the closure of the Bibby Stockholm barge, as well as the announced closure date of the RAF Napier asylum camp, the coalition of organisations called the continuation of Wethersfield 'ever more indefensible'. In a letter coordinated by the charity Asylum Matters, they said: 'People seeking asylum should be housed in communities, not camps. Placing people seeking protection in camp accommodation on ex-military sites is inhumane, and causes profound and long-lasting additional trauma to people who have already experienced conflict, oppression, abuse, torture and trafficking. 'The recent judgment by the High Court of Justice regarding the unlawful treatment of three victims of torture, trafficking and/or serious violence at ex-RAF Wethersfield adds to the growing body of evidence that camps like this are wholly unsuitable and unsafe for people seeking protection. 'Both Wethersfield and Napier must close now, so that no more vulnerable people are put at risk and no more Government money is wasted.' Signatories include Humans for Rights Network, Refugee Action, City of Sanctuary UK, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and Choose Love, as well as local support groups from across the country such as Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London (RAMFEL) and Asylum Link Merseyside. It was also backed by wider civil rights groups including the Runnymede Trust. And Labour MP Nadia Whittom told The Independent: 'I've met people who have been housed in Wethersfield and they told me of the mental health crisis gripping the site. It is a completely inappropriate place for people seeking asylum to live, many of whom have been through immense trauma. "The government did the right thing in shutting down the Bibby Stockholm. Now it must close Wethersfield too." The letter also said 'camps which segregate people seeking asylum stoke community division and act as a magnet for far right agitators' and said ending the use of such camps is more important than ever in the wake of the Southport riots last summer. The Independent has repeatedly drawn attention to conditions on the Wethersfield site, including speaking to residents about the mental health crisis unfolding inside. One described how seeing people attempt suicide has become almost routine, while another said fights were common, especially in the dining room over food portions. Last year The Independent also revealed the slew of ambulances being called to attend incidents at Wethersfield amid a rise in the number of men attempting suicide. Initial plans were for up to 1,700 migrants to be housed at the airfield, but there are currently around 580 on the site. The government is reluctant to close Wethersfield as doing so could scupper the government's mission to scale back the use of hotels for asylum seekers and drive up the cost of accommodation for migrants. And, despite pledging to end the use of hotels and barges to house asylum seekers, The Independent this week revealed the government has awarded a contract allowing for their provision until 2027. The wide-ranging agreement – which covers transport, accommodation and venue bookings for the public sector – includes services for asylum seekers, released prisoners and rough sleepers.
Telegraph
06-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Migrant hotel provider offers pay up front to stop asylum seekers' evictions
Bosses of a company managing migrant hotels have offered to pay them up front in an attempt to stop the eviction of asylum seekers. Last month, Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL) was told by the Home Office that its contract to run more than 50 hotels will be ripped up over its alleged behaviour and poor performance. Some of the managers at the hotels, which were accommodating some 15,000 asylum seekers, threatened last week to evict the migrants after delays in their payments from SBHL. Now, SBHL has told them that it will pay the entire cost of housing the asylum seekers for April in advance but is asking the landlords to reimburse it if they later agree to terms with alternative government contractors. The Home Office is seeking to transfer the contracts for housing the asylum seekers to three other operators: Serco, Mears and Corporate Travel Management (CTM), the latter of which was previously brought in by the Tories to run the Bibby Stockholm barge for migrants in Portland, Dorset. SBHL was subcontracted to run the hotels by Clearsprings Ready Homes, one of three overarching providers that have 10-year contracts with the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers waiting for claims decisions. Clearsprings has tripled its profits in just two years to £91 million in 2024. Ministers and officials are understood to be closely scrutinising the contracts agreed with Clearsprings and SBHL amid concerns that they inherited badly drawn agreements from the Tories that have left the taxpayer exposed. A hotel source said: 'All the hoteliers want is revenue for the accommodation as we all have loans, expenses and salaries to pay. We want this secured for as long as possible.' There are around 38,000 asylum seekers currently housed in hotels, up 8,000 since the election, despite Labour's pledge to end the use of such accommodation. It comes as the number of migrants crossing the Channel this weekend passed 30,000 since Sir Keir Starmer won the election in July. SBHL has told landlords that it only received its payments to cover the cost of hotels for March on Thursday evening, which was later than normal. It told the hoteliers that it had not received a 'firm commitment' from the Home Office to cover the costs for running the hotels in April, although government officials had given verbal assurances that it would be paid. The company told the landlords that it was committed to 'facilitating a safe and orderly transition' to hand over the contracts for accommodating the asylum seekers to Serco, Mears and CTM. It would, therefore, pay the April invoices for hotel accommodation in advance in return for the hoteliers committing to return any balance if they found an alternative supplier before the end of April. A government source said it was up to SBHL and Clearsprings to fulfil their contracts. 'We are progressing with the transition away from SBHL and Clearsprings. They are cooperating, but if they breach their terms at any time and stop cooperating, we will act accordingly,' said the source.
Telegraph
05-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Home Office begs asylum hotels not to evict migrants amid cash-flow crisis
The Home Office has issued a direct appeal to asylum hotels not to evict migrants amid a cash-flow crisis that arose after it ditched one of its major contractors. Some companies have already started withdrawing services such as hotel security and housekeeping after the sacked contractor, Stay Belvedere Hotels Ltd (SBHL), failed to make scheduled payments to them. Industry sources told The Telegraph that other hotel companies were considering similar moves as SBHL sought to renegotiate the way in which it makes its payments to providers of the accommodation for thousands of asylum seekers. The crisis stems from the Home Office's decision to strip SBHL of its contract to run more than 50 migrant hotels over its alleged behaviour and poor performance. SBHL is responsible for accommodating as many as 15,000 asylum seekers largely in London and the South East of England. There are currently some 38,000 migrants in hotels at a cost of £5.5 million a day to the Home Office. Home Office sources said it made its scheduled payment last week to cover the cost of accommodation for March. Under its agreement, SBHL, however, pays the hotels a month in advance. Its failure so far to make these payments for April has precipitated the current crisis, according to senior hotel sources. SBHL is now understood to be seeking to renegotiate this agreement from April 8 so that it makes its payments weekly in arrears after the hotels have carried the costs for the previous seven days. 'Some have withdrawn services' Some hotel businesses have, however, warned that they cannot sustain this, raising the risk that they will be forced to withdraw their services and potentially evict asylum seekers. 'Some have withdrawn services. This is the start of many people doing the same. Some will withdraw this or that service,' said a hotel source. In an emergency alert on Friday, Joanna Rowland, the Home Office's director general for customer services, urged hotels not to pull out of their contracts despite the cash-flow crisis. 'I can confirm that all required payments have now been made by the Home Office and that these will now flow through the supply chain imminently, if not already. In the interim, please be reassured that you will be recompensed for the usual costs incurred with provision of service,' she wrote. 'As ever, the Home Office remains grateful for your support during this transition period. I would reiterate my request that you take no action to cease your services and seek to positively engage with the alternative supplier as we move forwards.' The Home Office is seeking to transfer the responsibility for running the hotels to its established contractors Serco, Mears and CTM, the latter of which was brought in by the Tories to run the Bibby Stockholm barge for asylum seekers in Portland, Dorset. SBHL was subcontracted to run the hotels by Clearsprings Ready Homes, one of three overarching providers that have ten-year contracts with the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers awaiting claims decisions. Clearsprings has tripled its profits in just two years to £91 million in 2024. The new Labour ministers and officials are understood to be closely scrutinising the agreements with Clearsprings and SBHL amid concerns that they inherited badly drawn contracts that have left the taxpayer exposed. A Government source said it was up to SBHL and Clearsprings to fulfil their contracts and pay the money owed. 'We are progressing with the transition away from SBHL and Clearsprings. They are co-operating but if they breach their terms at any time and stop co-operating, we will act accordingly,' said the source.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Home Office begs asylum hotels not to evict migrants amid cash-flow crisis
The Home Office has issued a direct appeal to asylum hotels not to evict migrants amid a cash-flow crisis that arose after it ditched one of its major contractors. Some companies have already started withdrawing services such as hotel security and housekeeping after the sacked contractor, Stay Belvedere Hotels Ltd (SBHL), failed to make scheduled payments to them. Industry sources told The Telegraph that other hotel companies were considering similar moves as SBHL sought to renegotiate the way in which it makes its payments to providers of the accommodation for thousands of asylum seekers. The crisis stems from the Home Office's decision to strip SBHL of its contract to run more than 50 migrant hotels over its alleged behaviour and poor performance. SBHL is responsible for accommodating as many as 15,000 asylum seekers largely in London and the South East of England. There are currently some 38,000 migrants in hotels at a cost of £5.5 million a day to the Home Office. Home Office sources said it made its scheduled payment last week to cover the cost of accommodation for March. Under its agreement, SBHL, however, pays the hotels a month in advance. Its failure so far to make these payments for April has precipitated the current crisis, according to senior hotel sources. SBHL is now understood to be seeking to renegotiate this agreement from April 8 so that it makes its payments weekly in arrears after the hotels have carried the costs for the previous seven days. Some hotel businesses have, however, warned that they cannot sustain this, raising the risk that they will be forced to withdraw their services and potentially evict asylum seekers. 'Some have withdrawn services. This is the start of many people doing the same. Some will withdraw this or that service,' said a hotel source. In an emergency alert on Friday, Joanna Rowland, the Home Office's director general for customer services, urged hotels not to pull out of their contracts despite the cash-flow crisis. 'I can confirm that all required payments have now been made by the Home Office and that these will now flow through the supply chain imminently, if not already. In the interim, please be reassured that you will be recompensed for the usual costs incurred with provision of service,' she wrote. 'As ever, the Home Office remains grateful for your support during this transition period. I would reiterate my request that you take no action to cease your services and seek to positively engage with the alternative supplier as we move forwards.' The Home Office is seeking to transfer the responsibility for running the hotels to its established contractors Serco, Mears and CTM, the latter of which was brought in by the Tories to run the Bibby Stockholm barge for asylum seekers in Portland, Dorset. SBHL was subcontracted to run the hotels by Clearsprings Ready Homes, one of three overarching providers that have ten-year contracts with the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers awaiting claims decisions. Clearsprings has tripled its profits in just two years to £91 million in 2024. The new Labour ministers and officials are understood to be closely scrutinising the agreements with Clearsprings and SBHL amid concerns that they inherited badly drawn contracts that have left the taxpayer exposed. A Government source said it was up to SBHL and Clearsprings to fulfil their contracts and pay the money owed. 'We are progressing with the transition away from SBHL and Clearsprings. They are co-operating but if they breach their terms at any time and stop co-operating, we will act accordingly,' said the source. SBHL declined to comment but is understood to believe it is doing everything to resolve the problems. Clearsprings declined to comment and referred queries to the Home Office. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
