Keir Starmer's Government 'is on the side of illegal migrants' and people are angry

OPINION

The story of the Bell Inn hotel in Epping is a parable for this Government’s abysmal failure to control our borders. A fortnight ago I went to visit peaceful protestors outside the Bell Inn hotel in Epping. As Immigration Minister I ordered its closure, only for Labour to reopen it because of the record numbers crossing the Channel.

Westminster had shown no interest in the protestors. Starmer hadn’t bothered to turn up. But the local people deserved to have their concerns listened to and acted upon. In the weeks prior there has been a spate of serious crimes allegedly committed by illegal migrants. When I spoke to local residents one mother told me how her daughter’s school suggested students avoid certain parts of town on their walk home. Her young daughter told me that men from the hotels loiter certain spots “where they look at us.” Another mother told me how her daughter had bought a pair of construction worker’s boots to put outside the house, to make it look as if there was a man inside.

I have nothing but sympathy for these peaceful, patriotic protestors whose concerns I share. I certainly don’t want my children to share a neighbourhood with men from backward countries who broke into Britain and about whom we know next to nothing. And I don’t want anyone else’s family to have it forced on them either.

The protestors in Epping succeeded when an injunction was eventually granted to block illegal migrants from being housed there. But extraordinarily the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, appealed and used taxpayer money - your money - to keep open hotel housing illegal migrants in Epping.

It marks a new low for Labour. The British Government is duty bound to put the interests of the British people first. But Starmer’s Government has shown it is on the side of illegal migrants.

In the court case Yvette Cooper’s lawyers argued accommodating illegal migrants was in the “national interest”. It was claimed the right of illegal migrants to free hotels is more important than the rights of the British people. They said out loud what Cooper secretly thinks.

And on a technical legal point, the Government won - forcing the hotel to keep housing illegal migrants. But be in no doubt this is a pyrrhic victory. Starmer’s decision to put two fingers up to the legitimate anger of the British public will surely inspire even more protests across the country.

The British people have had enough of illegal migrants breaking into the country for a long time. After the Government’s behaviour this week, many will be angry. They’re right to be.

But this is not the end of the matter. Councils can and should still act to close hotels. I have assembled a team of top lawyers who believe in borders to offer legal assistance to local councils to help prevent illegals migrants being forced upon local areas. Whether the council is run by the Conservatives, Reform or whoever else, we are on hand to help. We need to put maximum pressure on Starmer to act.

I know many Sunday Express readers are still frustrated with the Conservatives handling of immigration. I understand and, frankly, share your frustration - the last government failed.

Suella Braverman and I spent a year fighting tooth and nail for the changes we needed on both legal and illegal migration. We set in train the closing of over 100 hotels, made possible by the fact small boats fell under us by more than a third. This is the only time they’ve fallen, before or since. But we knew that wasn’t even close to enough.

I wanted to detain and deport everyone arriving on a small boat and resigned when I wasn’t listened to. If the government had accepted my amendments to derogate from outdated international treaties it would have been possible. But instead the Rwanda Bill was weak and wouldn’t work, so I was forced to vote against it alongside 10 colleagues.

Since then I have kept fighting for what’s needed: the immediate detention and deportation of all those coming illegally.

The Government needs to stop managing failure by moving illegal migrants around the country into different accommodation. Illegal migrants being housed anywhere is a disgrace - the housing should be going to Brits in need like our veterans.

The answer must be to deport all illegal migrants. That is the only way to fix the problem. Action can’t come soon enough.