'Nigel Farage is using Northamptonshire to score political points' - Labour claims after Reform leader brings up asylum hotels in Westminster
The Labour party in West Northamptonshire has claimed Nigel Farage is “using Northamptonshire to score political points” in Westminster, after the he spoke about how the council is dealing with asylum hotels.
The Reform UK leader was speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday November 12, in the House of Commons, when he referenced the ongoing action at West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and asked Keir Starmer if he approved of the party “speeding up the closure” of the hotels.
He also said WNC will be issuing foreclosure notices on the three West Northamptonshire hotels housing asylum seekers “within the next few days”.
Following Nigel Farage’s commons speech, the Labour group in West Northamptonshire has said he is “playing on people’s fears” and that Reform has “little respect for this country”.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Reform leader of West Northants Council made no mention of the notices – nor concerns for the safety of women in girls – in a statement he released on asylum hotels on Tuesday November 11. Instead, local residents have been bypassed by Nigel Farage, who is playing on people’s fears and using Northamptonshire to score political points in Westminster.
“There are genuine concerns in our community about the use of hotels – that is why this Labour Government is doing the hard graft to ensure they are all closed as soon as possible. But using those concerns to grandstand in the commons, cutting local people and their representatives out from these decisions, shows just how little respect Reform has for the people of this county.”
The council published a statement on Tuesday November 11 in response to a landmark High Court ruling on an asylum hotel in Epping, which saw the legal challenge over the use of the hotel fail and asylum seekers allowed to stay.
WNC initially started looking at its options to pursue the closure of the three hotels – Ibis in Crick, Holiday Inn, Flore, and MK Hotel, Deanshanger – in August after a judge previously awarded Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to stop asylum seekers being placed at The Bell Hotel.
The LDRS has contacted WNC and Councillor Mark Arnull at Reform UK to confirm what notices will be issued in “the next few days”, but has so far received no response.