Top News

Keir Starmer and the Labour Government were criticised on TalkTV by guest Jack Elsom, who discussed their contingency plans for housing asylum seekers after a court ruled that they should be removed from a hotel in Epping, Essex. Speaking to host Kevin O'Sullivan, Jack argued that Labour is "scrambling" after yesterday's court ruling in Epping as it throws the entire policy of using migrant hotels "into chaos". He also said that Labour is now "worried" that other councils "will limber up and wage other court battles". He also asked the question of what will happen in the coming weeks and months if migrant hotels are closed, then where will the asylum seekers be placed?

One commenter said, "I don't think the government will be bothered. They want the hotels shut themselves. Isn't this just an excuse for them to put the migrants at the front of the queue for housing in front of English families?"

Another also commented: "Where are they going to go? They'll be moved into a House on your Street anonymously. This is surely worse." [sic]

A third person also argued: "All that will happen is the Epping hotel migrants will all be processed by rubber-stamping their asylum applications, then the Home Office will tell the council it's their duty to house them now. So, it will backfire on us again. Does the hotel still get paid as well?"

Jack echoed that three more councils have vowed to rehouse asylum seekers away from local hotels after the landmark ruling.

The party's leader, Nigel Farage, said all 12 councils controlled by Reform UK will "do everything in their power to follow Epping's lead."

In similar news, a frosty row erupted on The Jeremy Vine Show as Phil Jones clashed with Carole Malone over tabloid stories of asylum seekers living it up in "four-star hotels" with room service.

The debate topic centred around where channel migrants should be housed in the UK, with Phil arguing that there are lots of "myths" surrounding the so-called "luxury" hotels.

Meanwhile, Carole shot back that one of the properties is a four-star hotel in Canary Wharf in London. Phil said: "There are so many exaggerations." She shot back: "No - you can't say that! Canary Wharf, I have been in that hotel - pretty luxurious." Phil then added: "They're repurposed to fit lots of people in. They're not the four-star hotels we are or you might stay in when we go on holiday."