SIR Keir Starmer was under fresh fire last night after it emerged 3,567 dinghy migrants have arrived since he signed a “one-in, one-out” deal with France — but NONE have been kicked out.
Keir Starmer was under fresh fire after it emerged 3,567 dinghy migrants have arrived since he signed a ‘one-in, one-out’ deal with FranceCredit: PA
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Since Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir agreed a deal on migrants – NONE have been kicked outCredit: EPA
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The Home Office currently houses around 32,000 asylum seekers in over 200 hotels across BritainCredit: Getty
Yesterday, ministers put a temporary halt on refugees bringing in partners and children.
Sir Keir also said he wanted to bring forward his 2029 deadline for closing asylum hotels because he “completely gets” the public’s anger.
But his positive slant was derailed by the news of the failure of the “one-in, one-out” deal with France’s Emmanuel Macron.
More than 100 people are understood to have been detained — with videos shared by No10 showing people being escorted by staff after arriving across the Channel.
Yet none has actually gone yet, officials confirmed.
The PM and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had gone on the offensive yesterday after a summer of dismal headlines.
Speaking to BBC Radio Five, the PM said: “It’s a really serious issue. We have to have control of our borders, and I completely get it.
“I’m determined that whether it’s people crossing in the first place, people in asylum hotels, or it’s returning people, we absolutely have to deal with this.”
Pressed on when illegal migrant hotels will finally shut, Sir Keir replied: “We’ve said we’ll get rid of them by the end of the Parliament. I would like to bring that forward, I think it is a good challenge.”
Small boat crossings under Labour are on brink of hitting 50,000 – one illegal migrant every 11 mins since the election
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said accommodation for illegal migrants would be dealt with “not just by shifting individuals from hotels to other sites, but by driving down the numbers in supported accommodation overall”.
Hotels would be “reconfigured” to increase room-sharing and the test for accommodation would be “tightened”.
She said the Home Office would try to “identify alternative cheaper and more appropriate accommodation”.
He also wants to establish detention centres with compulsory deportations, even for women and children.
Sir Keir said: “The difference here is between an orderly sensible way of actually fixing a problem we inherited from the Tories or fanciful arrangements that are just not going to work.
“Nigel Farage and Reform are just the politics of grievance. They feed on grievance. They don’t want the problem solved because they’ve got no reason to exist if the problems are solved.”
The PM added that Mr Farage’s plan is “not fair to put forward to the public” because it is an idea that “just isn’t going to work”.
It came as Ms Cooper announced refugees will be banned from bringing their families to the UK as part of “radical” asylum reforms announced by the Home Secretary yesterday.
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Yvette Cooper announced refugees will be banned from bringing their families to the UK as part of ‘radical’ asylum reformsCredit: Sky News
The Home Secretary vowed that new immigration rules will temporarily suspend new applications from dependents of refugees already in Britain.
She also said that the controversial Article 8 of the ECHR — which guarantees a right to family life — should be interpreted differently.
Around 20,000 people come to the UK on refugee family reunion visas per year, according to Home Office figures.
Ms Cooper told the House of Commons yesterday: “Our reforms will also address the overly complex system for family migration, including changes to the way Article 8 of the ECHR is interpreted.
“We should be clear that international law is important.
“But we also need the interpretation of international law to keep up with the realities and challenges of today’s world.”
‘Living in a parallel universe’
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Ms Cooper of “living in a parallel universe”.
Labour’s own Graham Stringer said the measures “don’t really deal with the fact that many migrants are not coming from war-torn countries, they’re coming from France, which isn’t persecuting them”.
And Reform MP Lee Anderson said: “Starmer continues to open the floodgates for hundreds of illegals each day.”
The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, became a flash point for discontent this summer after two of its guests were charged with sexual offences.
Epping Forest District Council won a bid at the High Court to block migrants from being housed at the hotel.
But the Court of Appeal last week overturned the injunction after an Home Office appeal.
Lee Anderson added: “Starmer makes hollow claims while refusing to close Epping. Hypocrite.”
Carpenter Jimmy Hillard, 52, of Loughton, Essex, has been handed an eight-week suspended prison sentence by Chelmsford JPs after admitting assaulting a police officer at a Bell Hotel demo on Friday.
PM’S ‘PRIDE’ IN FLAG
PM SIR Keir Starmer yesterday declared himself a “supporter of flags” — and revealed he still proudly displays a St George’s Cross in his flat.
He dismissed claims that showing off England’s ensign should be seen as racist, telling BBC Five Live: “I am the leader of the Labour Party who put the Union Jack on 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.” He said he bought his England flag for last year’s Euros football.
The flag debate reignited after councils in the West Midlands and Tower Hamlets tried to remove the St George’s Cross from lamp posts and motorway bridges over claims they intimidated minorities.
The PM added: “They’re patriotic and a great symbol of our nation. I don’t think they should be devalued and belittled.”
A CAKE shop owner can remain in Britain despite being wanted for murder in his home country.
Carlos Kassimo Dos Santos, 33, was jailed for 14 years in his absence in 2016 over a gang killing in Portugal.
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Carlos Kassimo Dos Santos can remain in Britain despite being wanted for murder in his home countryCredit: NB PRESS LTD
An extradition bid failed when the High Court upheld a decision by a district judge to allow Santos to remain here.
It was deemed Santos, who denies involvement in the 2010 murder, could not be guaranteed a retrial and it could not be proved he fled justice to come here.
He is now co-owner of Kings & Queens Dessert outlet, set up three years ago in Leeds.
It recently won The Best Dessert Shop in West Yorkshire award.
Santos was 18 when he was accused of being part of a group who killed a gang rival near Lisbon.
He then spent two years in the army before coming to Britain, where his dad lives.
He said he was unaware he was jailed and did not know he had to notify authorities of his address change.
He refused to comment when approached.
ELON RANT
ELON Musk hit out at asylum seekers being housed in £300,000 newbuild homes after The Sun exposed it.
The world’s richest man, 54, waded into the migrant housing debate on his X platform, writing alongside our story: “This must stop now.”
The Tesla chief and former aide to US President Donald Trump also accused the Government of giving away freebies, such as houses worth £1,200-a-month, to import more voters.
Another user had written: “They give them homes rent-free while British citizens have to pay. This is how Labour stay in power.”
Mr Musk, worth £306billion, shared the comments and added: “Exactly. And it will work, unless the people of Britain put a stop to it.”
REFORM UK would win a 400 seat landslide if an election were held today, according to a new poll.
Nigel Farage is 15 points ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government, as reported by The i Paper.
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Reform UK would win a landslide general election if one were held today, a poll has suggestedCredit: Getty
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Figures show 60 per cent are unhappy with Sir Keir Starmer’s performanceCredit: Getty
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Only 20 per cent of voters now say they would vote for Labour – whereas 35 per cent would cast their ballot for Reform.
The poll results mean Farage would win a general election with 400 seats if one was held today.
These figures have been dubbed as “catastrophic” for the PM’s party, as they continue to face backlash over the migrant crisis.
This issue was also reflected in the poll, with 41 per cent of applicants confessing they believe Farage could solve the problem – as opposed to 14 per cent who trust Starmer.
Meanwhile the Tories also trailed behind in the poll, with Kemi Badenoch only gaining 17 per cent of votes.
And, her party ranked last when it came to faith in battling the small boat crisis – with just 8 per cent admitting they believe she could put an end to it.
The party boss said the public mood over Channel crossings was “a mix between total despair and rising anger”, warning of a “genuine threat to public order” unless Britain acts fast.
Moment cop floors protester holding beer as clash breaks out in nearby Cheshunt after ruling that migrants can STAY in Epping hotel
Reform’s plan centres on a new Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill, which would make it the Home Secretary’s legal duty to remove anyone who arrives unlawfully, and strip courts and judges of the power to block flights.
Britain would quit the European Convention on Human Rights, scrap the Human Rights Act and suspend the Refugee Convention for five years.
Reform would also make re-entry after deportation a crime carrying up to five years in jail, enforce a lifetime ban on returning, and make tearing up ID papers punishable by the same penalty.
The scheme would also see prefab detention camps built on surplus RAF and MoD land, holding up to 24,000 people within 18 months.
Inmates would be housed in two-man blocks with food halls and medical suites – and would not be allowed out.
Five deportation flights would take off every day, with RAF planes on standby if charter jets were blocked.
The poll this week echos those conducted by YouGov, in which Reform was still 8 points ahead of Labour.
And, 37 per cent of voters say they are satisfied with how Farage is leading the party.
However, 60 per cent are unhappy with Sir Keir Starmer’s performance.
Robert Struthers, head of polling at BMG, said: “Nigel Farage’s net rating of +5 may not appear remarkable on its own, but it contrasts sharply with Keir Starmer’s figures which have dropped to a new low at -41. He’s now as unpopular as Sunak was before the election last year.
“The next election may still be some way off, but there’s no doubt these numbers are catastrophic for Labour. Unless things change, pressure for a shift in strategy and even Prime Minister will only intensify.”
Jack Curry, pollster at BMG added: “There is a striking consensus among the British public when it comes to the issue of small boats. The public sees no real difference between the current Labour Government and the previous Conservative government. Both are viewed as equally ineffective.
“That frustration is clearly fuelling support for Reform. When it comes to what people actually want done, the mood music is for a tougher approach. There’s strong support for protectionist measures like more border enforcement, stricter penalties and offshore processing. That’s especially true among Reform and Conservative voters.”
Sir Keir Starmer may well take a sip on a cold drink at the end of his summer holiday today after winning the Court of Appeal hearing.
But any delight from the Prime Minister’s will be extremely short-lived as he works through the practical ramifications of the controversial asylum hotel staying open.
Sir Keir and his Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have got through this legal battle but the knock-on effects are now huge.
The crux of the problems for the government are that they wanted to keep the Bell Hotel in Epping OPEN when so much noise has been created about CLOSING them.
Political opponents such as senior Tory Robert Jenrick hit out at Ms Cooper saying taxpayer money was used for this appeal.
He says this Labour government are on the side of illegal migrants who have broken into the country. Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe simply says Ministers must deport the illegal migrants.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was also quickly out to react against the ruling saying it pits the rights of illegal migrants against the people who are seeing their communities ruined.
She also urges Tory councils up and down the country to “keep going” if they seek similar injunctions to close asylum hotels.
She pointedly adds in her response to the ruling: “The public can see exactly who is fighting to keep these hotels open. It’s Labour.”
The legal action will appear bizarrely to many to be in sheer contrast to the long-term plan to actually close these hotels, which are costing around £5 million per day.
Ms Cooper as part of the government appeal even used the European Convention of Human Rights to say she has an obligation not to kick migrants on the streets.
It’s all so messy when we’ve had a string of Labour MPs followed by party grandees including Lord Blunkett and Jack Straw questioning why we abide by Strasbourg rules.
The ruling, by three Court of Appeal judges, will only raise tensions with local communities who want to see hotels that are blighting communities closed.
Despite the pledge to close them, the public have yet to see alternative accommodation that will be provided to house thousands of migrants.
One person who will immediately take advantage of the ruling is Reform UK Nigel Farage. Look at the difference between his positioning and that of the PM.
On Tuesday this week, Mr Farage spelled out his plans to detain and deport thousands of migrants sending them on their way of deportation flight after deportation flight.
He will simply point at the PM and tell his growing legion of supporters that the PM wants the opposite of them.
The government wants to close these hotels step by step in a measured, practical way.
For the public, time and patience with the PM to deal with illegal immigration and the Channel small boats problem is running out. And running out quick.
Perhaps the PM will want to pour another drink before he heads back to Britain.
It also caused a ripple effect across the UK as more councils launched their own bids to boot migrants out of hotels in their towns.
But the Court of Appeal on Friday overturned the injunction following an appeal by the Home Office and hotel owners Somani – meaning the migrants can stay where they are for now.
It also gave permission for the Home Office to appeal against Mr Justice Eyre’s ruling not to let it intervene in the case as their involvement was “not necessary”.
It came after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a last-ditch bid to join the battle.
These include at least four Labour-run authorities, such as Wirral, Stevenage, Tamworth and Rushmoor councils.
A full hearing is scheduled for October to conclude whether the council’s claim that the use of the Bell Hotel to house asylum seekers breached planning rules.
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The poll revealed 40 per cent of Brits thought Farage’s mass deportation plans were possibleCredit: Getty
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Crowds gathered at the Bell Hotel again on FridayCredit: Alamy
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Protesters pushed past a barrier outside The Delta Marriott Hotel in Chestnut after the Court of Appeal rulingCredit: LNP
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Demonstrations outside The Roundhouse in Bournemouth, DorsetCredit: BNPS
NIGEL Farage today appeared to row back on his pledge to include women and children in illegal migrant deportations.
The Reform leader said the two groups would be “exempt” from being sent packing for five years – but not “forever”.
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Nigel Farage today appeared to row back on his pledge to include women and children in illegal migrant deportationsCredit: PA
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The Reform leader said women and children will not feature in the first five years of mass deportationsCredit: Getty
On Tuesday Mr Farage declared that under his mass deportation plan, 600,000 illegal migrants, including females of all ages, would have no right to stay in Britain.
But pushed on the issue again at a press conference in Edinburgh today, he clarified: “I was very, very clear yesterday in what I said, that deportation of illegal immigrants – we are not even discussing women and children at this stage.
“I didn’t say exempt forever, but at this stage it’s not part of our plan for the next five years.”
It comes as the Taliban confirmed it is “ready and willing” to strike an illegal migrant returns deal with Mr Farage.
A senior official suggested the extremist group would ask for aid to support deported Afghans instead ofmoney.
The official told The Telegraph: “We are ready and willing to receive and embrace whoever he [Nigel Farage] sends us.
“We are prepared to work with anyone who can help end the struggles of Afghan refugees, as we know many of them do not have a good life abroad.
“We will not take money to accept our own people, but we welcome aid to support newcomers, since there are challenges in accommodating and feeding those returning from Iran and Pakistan.
“Afghanistan is home to all Afghans, and the Islamic Emirate is determined to make this country a place where everyone – those already here, those returning, or those being sent back from the West by Mr Farage or anyone else – can live with dignity.”
The Taliban official also suggested it will be easier for Afghanistan to “deal” with Reform than Labour.
He said: “We will have to see what Mr Farage does when or if he becomes prime minister of Britain, but since his views are different, it may be easier to deal with him than with the current ones.
“We will accept anyone he sends, whether they are legal or illegal refugees in Britain.”
The Taliban are hardline Islamist militants who seized back control of Afghanistan in 2021 after two decades of war.
They enforce brutal Sharia law, with strict rules on women, media and daily life, backed by violence and fear.
Branded terrorists by the West, they’re accused of harbouring extremists and crushing human rights while clinging to power.
The Reform UK boss said the public mood over Channel crossings was “a mix between total despair and rising anger”, warning of a “genuine threat to public order” unless Britain acts fast.
This morning Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake confirmed his party would also “potentially” look to strike a returns agreement with the Taliban.
He added that his party’s deportation plan, which was published in May, is “far more comprehensive than the one we’ve seen from Reform, in that it dealt with both legal migration and illegal migration”.
Unveiling a five-year emergency programme, dubbed Operation Restoring Justice, Mr Farage yesterday tore into what he called an “invasion” on Britain’s borders and pledged the boldest deportation plan ever put forward by a UK party.
Speaking at an aircraft hangar in Oxfordshire, Mr Farage declared: “If you come to the UK illegally, you will be detained and deported and never, ever allowed to stay, period.
“That is our big message from today, and we are the first party to put out plans that could actually make that work.”
Reform’s plan centres on a new Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill, which would make it the Home Secretary’s legal duty to remove anyone who arrives unlawfully, and strip courts and judges of the power to block flights.
Britain would quit the European Convention on Human Rights, scrap the Human Rights Act and suspend the Refugee Convention for five years.
Reform would also make re-entry after deportation a crime carrying up to five years in jail, enforce a lifetime ban on returning, and make tearing up ID papers punishable by the same penalty.
Mr Farage said women and children would be detained and removed under the plans, with “phase one” focusing on men and women and unaccompanied minors deported “towards the latter half of that five years”.
He even raised the prospect that children born in Britain to parents who arrived illegally could also be deported, but admitted it would be “complex”.
He said: “How far back you go with this is the difficulty, and I accept that… I’m not standing here telling you all of this is easy, all of this is straightforward.”
There would also be a six-month “Assisted Voluntary Return Window” with cash incentives to leave before Border Force begins US-style raids. Mr Farage said: “Will Border Force be seeking out people who are here illegally, possibly many of them working in the criminal economy?
“Yes, it’s what normal countries do all over the world.
“What sane country would allow undocumented young males to break into its country, to put them up in hotels, they even get dental care? How about that?
“Most people can’t get an NHS dentist. This is not what normal countries do.”
The scheme would also see prefab detention camps built on surplus RAF and MoD land, holding up to 24,000 people within 18 months.
Inmates would be housed in two-man blocks with food halls and medical suites – and would not be allowed out.
Five deportation flights would take off every day, with RAF planes on standby if charter jets were blocked.
Numbers of working-age adults on welfare payments have now risen by 79 per cent since 2018.
Unemployment — made worse by the “Jobs Tax Budget” is now on course to be its highest since the Covid pandemic.
Soaring welfare payments are not only totally unaffordable and a drag on growth, it is also morally wrong to demand working people bail out those who cannot or will not work.
Having ditched its modest welfare reforms — and with the Government now paying a “moron premium” on the UK’s debt mountain — what is the plan?
Unsafeguard
VICTIMS of domestic abuse are regularly failed by the system.
SIR Keir Starmer is under huge pressure to take a tougher line on immigration — as even his own MPs reckon his asylum shake-up is not enough.
The Prime Minister has been warned he will lose the next election unless the Government gets a grip on the Channel crisis — with one backbencher calling for a “national emergency” to shut down most asylum claims.
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Keir Starmer is under huge pressure to take a tougher line on immigrationCredit: Reuters
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Chaos as men are squeezed into a dinghy yesterdayCredit: Reuters
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Nigel Farage cranked things up with a blueprint that pledges a mass deportation blitz within 30 days of arrival at No10Credit: Getty
It came as Nigel Farage cranked things up with a blueprint that pledges a mass deportation blitz within 30 days of arrival at No10.
Last week, Home Office figures revealed that a record number of people have claimed asylum in the UK since Labour came to power.
Reform UK leader Mr Farage is today due to unveil plans to arrest all illegal arrivals on entry, detain them on disused military bases and deport them within a month.
The hardline stance will be pitched directly against the package unveiled by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper at the weekend.
Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: “The Reform plan will defeat the lawyers using human rights laws to stop deportations.
“Labour’s plans will still allow the lawyers to use the ECHR and human rights to stop removals.”
Ms Cooper promised to scrap the tribunal system and replace it with panels of “professionally trained adjudicators” to fast-track appeals and reduce the backlog of 51,000 cases, which each take an average of more than a year.
Small boat crossings under Labour are on brink of hitting 50,000 – one illegal migrant every 11 mins since the election
She insisted the “broken” process was leaving thousands of people in the system for years on end and vowed to substantially reduce the numbers in asylum hotels.
Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told The Sun yesterday: “The British people expect our borders to be secure and they are rightly angry at the situation on our south coast.
“If the Government’s current measures don’t end the boat crossings, then we must go further and faster, including declaring a national emergency if necessary and closing our country to all asylum claims except for unaccompanied children.
“The message must be crystal clear — if you cross the Channel illegally, you will be detained and returned immediately. No loopholes, no delays, no excuses.”
Veteran Labour MP Graham Stringer echoed his comments, saying: “We need to persuade people who are coming here in the belief they will be allowed to stay and get priority in terms of housing and healthcare, that this won’t be the case.
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A girl on a man’s shoulders as they wade towards a dinghy in FranceCredit: Getty
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An overloaded migrant boat set to head across the ChannelCredit: Getty
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Another desperate family in the sea trying to reach a small boatCredit: Getty
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New arrivals are bussed from DoverCredit: Gary Stone
“And if that means withdrawing from international treaties, then so be it.” He also warned: “It will be very difficult to win the next election if we don’t solve the problem of illegal immigrants being given the right to stay.
We need to make it far more difficult for asylum seekers to want to come to this country
Jo White, leader of Labour’s Red Wall Caucus
“We need a more fundamental look at how to tackle illegal migration than the Government is currently pursuing.”
Jo White, leader of Labour’s Red Wall Caucus, also urged tougher action, saying: “I want Yvette Cooper to look at every possible solution — and there are many more than just looking at how fast the appeal system is working.
“We need to make it far more difficult for asylum seekers to want to come to this country.”
She went on: “I firmly believe that if we don’t sort it, then Labour are under threat at the next election.
“So I want this Government to look at every solution possible. And I’m very, very keen that Britain does take a look at what (Denmark) is doing.”
Denmark has pursued some of the toughest asylum policies in Europe, including plans to process claims in third countries, tighter rules on residency and benefits, and measures aimed at discouraging new arrivals.
MORE foreign nationals are being convicted of sexual offences than this time four years ago, data suggests.
They accounted for one in seven, or 14 per cent, of such convictions.
The figure has risen 62 per cent since 2021, according to Ministry of Justice data obtained by think tank the Centre for Migration Control.
By comparison, sex crime convictions by British nationals rose by 39.3 per cent for the same period.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This is yet more concerning data that shows mass, uncontrolled migration is fuelling serious crime. The Government needs to wake up, publish the full data and act to keep the public safe.”
Theft convictions by foreign nationals have risen by 77.9 per cent since 2021 — against 55.8 per cent for British nationals.
Robbery convictions by foreign nationals increased by 18.9 per cent, compared to 2.8 per cent by Brits.
The MoJ said the data should be treated with caution as an offender could have multiple nationalities listed, and one suspect could be responsible for multiple crimes.
Net migration hit a peak of 906,000 in 2023 under the Tory Government.
Foreign-born people make up 15 per cent of the population.
THERE is a reckoning coming. The people of Britain have had enough.
A new poll by Find Out Now has Reform UK winning a majority of 140 seats at the nextgeneral election. The big poll-of-polls gives us a 10-point lead. People are fed up. And one thing they are fed up with the most is illegal immigration.
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Reform Party MP Lee AndersonCredit: Getty
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Demonstrators gather during an anti-immigration protest outside the New Bridge Hotel in NewcastleCredit: Getty
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Nigel Farage will unveil Reform’s deportation plan on TuesdayCredit: Alamy
I went along to watch a protest outside the Britannia Hotel in London’s Canary Wharf, now a luxury hostel for asylum seekers, and felt for myself how high feelings are running.
Protesters like the famous Pink Ladies don’t want these illegal immigrants in their communities. Does anybody? Who voted for this madness?
That’s why our party, Reform UK, is backing more peaceful protests and asking people to demand that their local councils take action to empty the migrant hotels. But we can’t stop there.
We need to detain and deport illegal immigrants. Then I think they’re going to stop coming, and we can get back to some sort of peace and normality.
It’s no wonder people are angry. Just look at the shocking numbers that came out this past week.
We learned that, in the year up to June 2025, 110,000 more migrants applied for asylum in Britain –that’s the highest number since records began. More than 50,000 illegal immigrants have landed on our beaches since Labour were elected last July.
At the end of June, 32,100 asylum seekers were housed in hotels at taxpayers’ expense – up another 8 per cent since Keir Starmer moved into 10 Downing Street.
Over that same year, the Labour government spent £4.76 billion managing the asylum mess that they and their Tory predecessors have created.
This outrageous sum is the equivalent of hiring 86,500 more police officers, or 16 million winter fuel payments for British pensioners at the higher rate.
If I were a young male over the Channel in a migrant camp, I’d be thinking to myself it doesn’t matter where I’m from or what I’ve done in the past, get on a small boat to Britain and within 24 hours I could be in a four-star hotel, three meals a day, wifi, mobile phone, free to roam the streets and do pretty much whatever you want, because the authorities haven’t got the foggiest who you are.
Small boat crossings under Labour are on brink of hitting 50,000 – one illegal migrant every 11 mins since the election
What have we done as a nation? We see it in the news every week now, that an asylum seeker has been either charged or found guilty of disgusting attacks on women and girls.
The door’s open, we’ve invited these people in, some of them serious wrong ‘uns, and treated them like honoured guests.
But the tide is starting to turn. Last week the decent people of Epping in Essex won a big victory for us all, when the high court ruled that asylum seekers must leave the town’s Bell Hotel.
Parents and concerned residents had been protesting outside the hotel since an illegal migrant housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
They were slandered as “far-right” lunatics by Labour and the BBC, and attacked by leftie “Antifa” thugs who we saw being bussed in by the police! But they bravely stood up and won, despite home secretary Yvette Cooper shamefully hiring expensive lawyers to attack them in court.
People around the country are now protesting outside migrant hotels and telling their councils to take action. Nigel Farage was the first to call for more peaceful protests, and the councils that Reform won in the May elections will do everything in their power to follow Epping’s lead.
Now we need to go further. Next week, Reform UK will announce our proposals for mass deportations that will finally stop the boats and tackle the crisis.
And we are very clear that, to make this happen, the UK will need to quit the European Convention on Human Rights, which lets liberal foreign judges override the sovereignty of our parliament on immigration law.
National emergency
This is a national emergency. Labour’s latest scheme, to move migrants from hotels into homes into our communities, can only make matters worse.
But let’s not forget that the last Conservative government started the problem. So it’s a bit rich for them to start attacking migrant hotels now.
When I was a Tory MP, I spoke up asking the government to detain illegal immigrants in secure camps ready for deportation. Instead, they housed them in hotels.
I was constantly told to shut up by the “One Nation” lot of Conservative MPs. This is of their making, and they should all apologise right now.
Reform Uk stands foursquare with the people protesting peacefully across Britain. And we will defend free speech against the authorities that want to lock up anybody who speaks out.
On a protest in my constituency of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, some women in their sixties and seventies came up to me and said Lee, are we really far-right? And I said no, you’re just right.
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Migrants board a smuggler’s boat in an attempt to cross the English ChannelCredit: AFP
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A demonstrator holds a placard during a counter protestCredit: AFP
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Demonstrators during an anti-immigration protest in NewcastleCredit: Getty
He has in the past called for the Lords to be replaced with an elected chamber akin to that in the US.
Mr Farage said: “Whilst Reform UK believes in a reformed House of Lords, the time has come to address the democratic disparity there.”
But Defence Secretary John Healey told LBC: “This is the same Nigel Farage that called for the abolition of the House of Lords and now wants to fill it with his cronies.
“I’m not sure Parliament is going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Farage.”
While PMs technically have the final say on House of Lords appointments, they grant opposition parties some peers.
When Sir Keir nominated 30 Labour lords in December, he allowed six Tories to be elevated to the upper legislature.
Hitting back at Mr Healey’s remarks, Reform deputy Richard Tice last night accused Labour of not playing fair.
Denying they were “Putin apologists”, he told The Sun: “It’s a democratic outrage and another old-fashioned establishment stitch-up. They are essentially rigging the system against the new party, changing the rules of the game.”
Reform party leader Nigel Farage discusses immigration at Westminster press conference
In his letter, Mr Farage noted Lib Dems have 76 peers but received 600,000 fewer votes than Reform last year.
Sir Keir previously pledged to abolish the Lords but he is not expected to carry out plans before the next election.
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Nigel Farage said: ‘Whilst Reform UK believes in a reformed House of Lords, the time has come to address the democratic disparity there’Credit: Getty
The BBC has told Greg Wallace that they don’t believe he’ll change his behaviour in a scathing letter from compliance boss Claire Powell that has been shared with The Mirror
22:04, 10 Jul 2025Updated 22:49, 10 Jul 2025
Gregg Wallace has been accused of misconduct claims that he denies(Image: BBC/Glenn Dearing)
Gregg Wallace struggles to grasp the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, BBC bosses claim. And in a letter sacking him from his MasterChef job, the corporation insisted he is unlikely to change amid accusations that include groping, flashing and making sexual comments that go back years.
While the 60-year-old has admitted using inappropriate language at times, he denies the more serious allegations and has now hired an “aggressive” lawyer who may challenge his axing. In the letter from the BBC to Wallace, extracts of which have been seen by the Mirror, compliance boss Claire Powell refers to the findings of a law firm’s probe into his behaviour – which are yet to be released.
Gregg Wallace has been fired from MasterChef(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
She said: “I do not have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour for you to make what you perceive to be jokes in the work -environment, without understanding the boundaries of what is appropriate.
“You acknowledge some of your comments have offended or upset people. But it is clear that you struggle to distinguish the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate -behaviour in the workplace, as well as lacking an awareness of why your behaviour impacts others.
“I do not have confidence that your behaviour can change.”
A source close to Wallace said the TV chef claims the letter is unfair. But show producers Banijay are understood to be in no doubt about the next steps that need to be taken after the report by law firm Lewis Silkin.
The insider said the letter refers to Wallace’s autism and appears to accept his condition. The source said: “He’s been formally diagnosed with autism, a recognised disability, but the BBC seems to be saying it can’t cope with a disabled person. It sounds a lot like discrimination to us.”
Wallace is now understood to have hired Dan Morrison, one of the UK’s top litigation lawyers who has worked with Nigel Farage and footballer John Terry.
His firm’s profile page states: “Dan has recovered billions of pounds for his clients over 25 years of legal practice. He is known for his aggressive approach to litigation and his ability to negotiate favourable settlements for his clients.”
Wallace is expected to try to sue the BBC, although it is not yet clear if this will be for unfair dismissal, or something else.
He was warned by the BBC after a complaint was raised about him in 2018 on the show Impossible Celebrities. He apologised and was offered counselling.
Wallace was told in a meeting to change his behaviour and had coaching the following year. There were also complaints about him that same year on MasterChef. He was given a dressing down by Kate Phillips, who was then controller of entertainment and is now the BBC’s chief content officer.
She reportedly told Wallace his behaviour had been -“unacceptable and cannot continue”. BBC News has claimed that 50 more people have made claims about him.
Banijay last night declined to comment. The BBC also said it would not comment beyond the statement issued on Tuesday, which stated: “Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace.
“We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.”
Wallace insisted earlier this week: “I will not go quietly. I will not be cancelled for convenience.”
Nigel Farage has said Brits have ‘every right to be angry’ about the cost of hotels for migrantsCredit: Getty
We told the case of Stuart Whittaker – a former factory worker from Hull who is now homeless – feeling he had been “shoved to the back of the queue”.
Downing Street yesterday admitted it was “absolutely not” fair that locals like him are sofa-surfing while taxpayers fork out for migrant hotels.
Also addressing the story in Port Talbot, Mr Farage said: “What I tell your man from Hull, is he has every right to be upset.
“Every right to be angry.
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“Just don’t say anything on social media or Keir Starmer will put you in prison.”
He said that while legal migration has a bigger strain on public services, it is the “sheer unfairness of these young men” coming across the Channel illegally that rubs people up.
The cost of paying for asylum support has ballooned to around £4.7billion annually, and around 15,000 migrants have arrived from France this year already.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said: “It’s not fair that tens of thousands of people are stuck in an asylum backlog that’s wasting billions of pounds of taxpayers money, and that’s why we’re focused on taking the action needed to reduce the number of asylum seekers and hotels.”
Minister Chris Bryant yesterday insisted that the “best deterrent” against small boats was processing asylum claims quicker.
He was slammed by Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who said: “This is dangerous nonsense from a weak Labour Government.
“Giving illegal immigrants asylum faster is no deterrent – it will just attract even more to come here.
“A real deterrent would be removing every single illegal immigrant who arrives in the UK to somewhere like Rwanda.”
NIGEL Farage will offer young people the chance to take up trades such as welding and robotics as part of his re-industrialisation plans.
The Reform UK leader will accuse Labour of forgetting their heartlands by offering a bright future to youths if they gain power.
Farage has vowed to set up regional technical colleges in Wales teaching plumbing, electrical trades and industrial automation in a careers blitz if they win power there next year.
The intervention is part of a major drive to win next year’s elections there as he blames Labour’s “twenty-six years of failure” on a visit there today.
The move comes as the party chief vows to abandon the government’s Net Zero drive if he reaches power by re-opening coal mines.
The party chief intends to give the green light to digging for British coal rather than importing it to help make home-grown steel.
Ministers have set out their plans for not granting any more coal licences insisting that phasing out is crucial to tackling climate change.
But during a major speech today, he will talk about how Wales produced 60 million tons of coal exporting half of it.
He will also hail the country’s heritage, he will address Port Talbot steelworks which were once the largest steel plant in Europe.
The party chief will use a major speech in the Principality setting out his plans to re-industrialise the country in areas betrayed by Labour.
He will take aim at Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘year of failure” since coming to power and saying the game is up for blaming the Tories for the woes of Wales.
Mr Farage will also highlight how de-industrialisation there means GDP per head is £10,000 less than the UK.
Watch moment Nigel Farage makes back door exit as Reform UK leader dodges protesters in Scotland
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Nigel Farage will offer young people the chance to take up trades such as welding and roboticsCredit: Alamy
REFORM was plunged into a chaotic civil war last night after its chairman Zia Yusuf announced he’s quitting the party.
Mr Yusuf announced on social media that after 11 months in the job “I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time”.
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Reform chairman Zia Yusuf announced he’s quitting the partyCredit: PA
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Mr Yusuf was seen as a rising star in the party and close ally of Nigel FarageCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Insiders said that the chairman had felt “shafted” into running the party’s DOGE efficiency unit, aimed at slashing waste in local authorities.
He also earlier on Thursday clashed with Reform’s newest MP, Sarah Pochin, over the idea of a burqa ban.
Mr Yusuf said: “Eleven months ago I became Chairman of Reform.
“I’ve worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30 per cent, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results.
“I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.”
Mr Yusuf was seen as a rising star in the party and close ally of Nigel Farage.
While not an MP, the entrepreneur fronted several of the parties press conferences.
He worked as chairman in a voluntary capacity.
Cracks in Mr Yusuf’s relationship with the wider Reform party started show months ago – but a major row over banning face coverings brought simmering tensions to boiling point.
Responding to Ms Pochin’s demand for a burqa ban, Mr Yusuf blasted: “Nothing to do with me.
Watch moment Nigel Farage makes back door exit as Reform UK leader dodges protesters in Scotland
“I do think it’s dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something party itself wouldn’t do.”
The comment contradicted strong statements in favour of a ban from Deputy Leader Richard Tice and whip Lee Anderson.
Earlier this year, a brutal row saw MP Rupert Lowe suspended after Mr Yusuf reported him to police for alleged threats and bullying – claims later dropped by prosecutors.
Mr Lowe denied everything, accused party bosses of smearing him with “vexatious” claims, and said Mr Farage had stabbed him in the back for daring to push internal reforms.
Ben Habib, former deputy leader, backed him and blasted Mr Yusuf’s handling of the row, accusing Mr Farage of running Reform like a dictatorship.
The chairman’s resignation is just the latest bust-up in a long line of power struggles under Mr Farage’s watch, echoing the UKIP years when infighting over Islam, immigration and leadership led to splinter groups and walkouts.
This comes after Farage earlier this week blasted “net stupid zero” for obliterating the UK’s oil industry, ahead of a showdown Scottish by-election on tomorrow.
The Reform chief drew battle lines against the SNP as he warned Scotland is “literally de-industrialising before our eyes”.
In Aberdeen Mr Farage slammed the nats, led by First Minister John Swinney, for sacrificing an entire industry and thousands of jobs at the alter of green diktats.
He claimed neighbouring Norway is “laughing” as it watches ministers import Scandinavian fossil fuels while dismantling local industry.
Against the shouts of protesters, at a posh fish and chips restaurant the Reform leader said: “We can con ourselves as much as we like.
“There will be more coal burned this year than ever before in the history of human kind. The same applies to oil and gas.
“Even the most adren proponent of net zero has to accept the world will still be using oil and gas up until 2050 and beyond.
“And yet we’ve decided to sacrifice this industry as a consensus around Net Zero has emerged.”
Mr Farage added that the fight to save oil and gas is “almost the next Brexit“.
He said: “Believe me, the scales are falling from the eyes of the public when it comes to Net Zero.
“They realise we are putting upon ourselves a massive cost, let alone the opportunity cost of what we’re missing…
“When we closed down refineries.. and steelworks… all we’re doing is exporting the emissions of CO2 with the goods then being shipped back to us.
“The public are waking up to this.”
It comes ahead of a Hoylrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on Thursday, described by Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice as an “absolute cat fight” with the SNP and Labour.
Mr Farage acknowledged it would be an “earthquake” level shock if Reform’s candidate wins the seat.
But activists have reported being surprised at levels of support on the doorstep.
Mr Farage insisted the Reform “can replicate success in Scotland”.
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He said: “I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time”Credit: AFP
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