3 days ago
Labour council accused of downplaying small boats crisis
A Labour-led council has been accused of downplaying the small boat crisis after one of its lawyers referred to a motion describing 'record-breaking' arrivals as 'inflammatory'.
The motion was submitted by opposition councillors on Swindon borough council who were objecting to lucrative tenancy deals being offered to private landlords to house asylum seekers.
Under the Home Office scheme to house asylum seekers, landlords are guaranteed five years of rent payments, funded by taxpayers, to accommodate the growing number of new arrivals to the UK.
Local Conservatives had sought to pass a motion that would require asylum seekers making use of the scheme to prove a local connection to the area.
But in documents seen by The Telegraph, a claim referring to a 'record-breaking surge in small boat arrivals ' was described by the council's top legal officer as 'inflammatory'. It was requested that the wording of the motion be reviewed.
It is understood that this was advice, and it was at the discretion of the Labour mayor of the borough as to whether or not the motion was allowed in its current state.
Kevin Hollinrake MP, the shadow levelling up, housing and communities secretary, said: 'Saying there has been a record-breaking surge of small boats in the Channel is a factual statement. The last thing any responsible Labour council should be doing is downplaying this crisis or covering for Starmer's failures.
'This isn't just about politics – it's a serious national security issue that demands urgent action, not denial.'
The council denied that the officer was calling the wording of the motion 'inflammatory' and instead said the advice had 'been misunderstood when it was relayed to councillors' as 'the intention was to ask that the sentence was fact-checked'.
A spokesman added: 'This story does not represent the full picture. Our chief legal officer provides confidential advice to political assistants and councillors via our committee services team when they submit any motions to full council to ensure they are fair, accurate and based on fact.
'For the record, our chief legal officer does not consider the motion to be inflammatory in any way. This is why the wording relating to small boat crossings has been published as part of the agenda for next week's meeting.'
Local Conservative sources confirmed that they intended to proceed with the motion in its current state ahead of next week's meeting.
The Telegraph understands that the council's chief legal officer had advised the mayor of the borough to not allow the motion to be moved at the next meeting of the council, which Swindon Conservatives said was 'subverting the democratic process'.
More than 22,500 migrants have reached the UK in small boats so far this year, up 50 per cent on the same period last year and the highest number in the first six months since the first dinghies arrived in 2018.
Swindon declared itself a 'city of sanctuary' shortly after Labour took control of the council in 2023. At the time, it said the status meant it would 'talk with the community about the positive impact of migration' and 'advocate for why being a welcoming and inclusive town is beneficial to us all'.
A Conservative source called the description of Swindon as a sanctuary city 'council-sponsored gaslighting'.
Swindon has seen the largest rise in immigration in the West of England, up 30 per cent in the past 20 years. One in five of its residents were born outside the UK. The motion stated that Swindon housed 539 asylum seekers as of this June, compared to 376 residents in similar temporary accommodation.
