Kemi Badenoch has been criticized as “desperate and hypocritical” for expressing outrage over the chaos caused by asylum hotels linked to her party. The embattled Tory leader urged Conservative-run councils to pursue legal actions against the Home Office amid mounting issues. In a communication to Tory councils, Mrs. Badenoch encouraged them to follow Epping Council’s lead if their legal guidance supported such actions.
Recently, a High Court ruling mandated the relocation of all asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping. However, Ms. Badenoch’s involvement has been dismissed as mere “desperate and hypocritical nonsense.” This development coincided with leadership contender Robert Jenrick offering assistance to councils considering legal challenges, despite previously boasting about securing numerous hotel rooms during his tenure as Immigration Minister.
Back in September 2023, when Rishi Sunak held the position of Prime Minister and Ms. Badenoch was a Cabinet member, over 56,000 asylum seekers were accommodated in hotels. Approximately 400 of these rooms were utilized daily at a staggering cost exceeding £9 million. Experts highlighted a significant “failure of public policy” leading to a backlog in asylum applications as the Tories persisted with their ineffective Rwanda initiative.
The Labour party has pledged to shut down all asylum hotels by the end of the current Parliament. In her correspondence, Mrs. Badenoch commended Epping Council’s legal challenge and assured Tory councils of her support to undertake similar actions to safeguard their communities. She insinuated that the course of action would be contingent on the specific circumstances of each case and hinted at alternative planning enforcement measures for Tory councils to explore.
Moreover, Mrs. Badenoch accused the Labour party of rushing through asylum hotel placements without proper consultation or due process. The Bell Hotel had previously served as asylum accommodation briefly in 2020 and later during 2022-2024 under the previous Conservative administration.
A spokesperson for Labour dismissed Mrs. Badenoch’s letter as a “pathetic stunt” and criticized it as “desperate and hypocritical nonsense from the architects of the broken asylum system.” They pointed out that there are now “20,000 fewer asylum seekers in hotels compared to the peak under the Tories.”
The fate of the current residents at the Bell Hotel remains uncertain. Khadar Mohamed, 24, shared with The Mirror the struggles faced by those inside, describing a sense of fear and pain amid local protests and heightened uncertainty about their future.
Following the High Court ruling, councils led by Labour, the Conservatives, and Reform UK are exploring the possibility of pursuing similar legal actions. These councils include Labour-controlled Tamworth and Wirral, Tory-governed Broxbourne and East Lindsey, and Reform’s Staffordshire and West Northamptonshire.
Leaders of Conservative-run Dudley Council and Reigate and Banstead Council expressed intentions to pursue legal action, mirroring the sentiments of Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who emphasized the need for a unified response. He called on all councils, regardless of political affiliation, to emulate Epping’s example and seek legal injunctions.
This shift in stance contrasts sharply with Jenrick’s previous role as Immigration Minister, where he highlighted the continuous addition of hotel accommodations throughout the year, surpassing the efforts of his predecessors Suella Braverman and Priti Patel.
