Keir Starmer vows to close ‘every single asylum hotel’

"I completely get it"

Speaking today on the subject of migration in the UK, notably migrant hotels, Keir Starmer said he relates to concerns of living near migrant hotels.

As per LBC, the PM said: "I completely get it. Local people by and large do not want these hotels in their towns, in their place, and nor do I.

"I'm completely at one with them on that."

These comments come after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper rebuked criticism of how Labour had handled the matter of asylum seekers as well as people smugglers earlier this week.

Illegal migration as well as migrant hotels have been a focus point of mainstream news this summer, boiling over into protests in many places, most notably the Essex town of Epping.

Speaking today (1 September), Starmer said he was in touch with the concerns of residents across the country and said he was looking to close migrant hotels "as quickly as possible".

The Labour leader said: "When it comes to the asylum hotels, I want them emptied.

"I want to see every single asylum hotel closed."

These comments come as week after the government intervened to appeal to overturn an injunction granted to Epping Forest District Council that would have prevented asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel.

Lord Justice Bean ruled that the High Court's decision to award the injunction was "seriously flawed in principle" and held concern for where the migrants would go after being removed from the hotel.

Leader of the Reform Party, Nigel Farage criticised Labour's handling of the situation, saying the party "don't want the problem solved".

Starmer said that Reform are looking to "feed on grievance".

Earlier today, Yvette Cooper said that a remodelling of the asylum system will aid in bringing an end to the use of asylum hotels.

She added that changes to the refugee family reunion process will give "greater fairness and balance".

All this comes after the Keir Starmer today spoke out in support of people putting up British and English flags across the UK.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Prime Minister also revealed that he has a St George's flag in his flat above Number 10.

He said: “I am the leader of the Labour Party who put the Union Jack on our Labour Party membership cards.

"I always sit in front of the Union Jack. I’ve been doing it for years, and it attracted a lot of comment when I started doing it.”

The PM added that his family has “got a St George’s flag in our flat” in Downing Street.

“I’m very encouraging of flags. I think they’re patriotic and I think they’re a great symbol of our nation," he said.

“I don’t think they should be devalued and belittled. I think sometimes when they’re used purely for divisive purposes, actually it devalues the flag.

“I don’t want to see that. I’m proud of our flag.”