Councillors clash over asylum hotels amid racism row

By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter

The scapegoating of migrants as well as “bloody ridiculous racism” has been called out at a fractious Shire Hall debate over the planning status of hotels housing asylum seekers.

A proposal which called on Gloucestershire County Council to write to district authorities to ensure planning law was being followed in the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers sparked an emotional debate yesterday (September 10).

The motion, which requested the council note with concern the use of hotels within Gloucestershire for the accommodation of asylum seekers under Home Office contracts, was voted down by 36 to 12 with two abstentions.

It was put forward by Reform Councillor Mark Howard (Lydney) and Conservative Tom Bradley (C, Campden-Vale) who said in the motion the rationale behind it was to uphold the integrity of local planning.

According to the motion it did not seek to undermine the rights of asylum seekers but “ensure that local democratic processes are respected and that communities are properly consulted and supported”.

But during the debate, Councillor Sajid Patel (C, Barton and Tredworth) took issue with what he felt was really behind the motion and at one point protested that he had never seen such “ridiculous bloody racism”.

He claimed that British-born ethnic minorities are now being attacked and racially abused in the streets as a result of the debate on asylum seekers being housed in hotels.

He asked: “This is all about hotels and saving our children, is it really? I think it’s the likes of the EDL (English Defence League) and many others before them who have now become part of Reform.

“How the right wing rhetoric is clear for all to see. British-born Asians, British-born ethnic minorities now are being harassed and abused, racially abused, physically abused in the streets because we can’t be differentiated with the migrants who are in the hotels.

“This is what the world is coming to. This thing about patriotism and nationalism, I think they are getting mixed up.

“As a result, we are in the country now where all we hear about is migrants. I’m the only ethnic minority member here representing the most diverse ward in the county.

“I feel ashamed. You know what they will say, go back to where you came from.

“Well I was born here, I was raised here, I was educated here, I work here, I contribute with my taxes.

“I find this whole fiasco about weaponising migrants quite disgraceful and outrageous.”

He said the country is facing far bigger problems but “sadly migrants have become government scapegoats.

He called out senior Tory MP Robert Jenrick for “disgracefully and shamelessly jumping on the migrant bandwagon”.

“It’s appalling, it really is. It’s sad. You want to get these migrants out of the hotels. Where are they going to go?”

He asked if they would end up in houses of multiple occupancy in other councillors’ wards.

“Then what’s going to happen? Are hey going to end up In the parks and the play areas, and the fields.

“And then what’s going to happen? Your residents are going to be the ones who will be complaining.

“You are not solving any problem. All you are doing is moving the problem on.

“Let’s get a grip. Let’s face reality. Let’s help these migrants and stop making them scapegoats.”

Councillor Michael Rees (R, Cam Valley) spoke straight after him and said those currently being housed in hotels would be “sent back to where they came from”.

“They came here illegally, they have broken the law,” he said.

“It’s as simple as that.”

He said there was “no problem” with those “actually” seeking asylum and “absolutely agrees” with those who come with work and student visas to “work hard and benefit the country”.

Council leader Lisa Spivey (LD, South Cerney) said the meeting had seen the “true colours” of some of the councillors on the opposite side of the chamber.

She said if the motion was really about planning and enforcement she said it was an issue for the districts.

“It’s up to each district council to decide where its good value for money to pursue an action which will probably end up being thrown out, where there has been no disturbances,” she said.

“In Gloucestershire, we haven’t had issues. We don’t have an issue.

“Let’s be honest, this isn’t really about planning. We’ve just seen what it is about.”

She said the matter of asylum seekers and immigration matter deeply to the public but the County Council cannot decide how many people are allowed into the UK nor where the Home Office chooses to accommodate them.

“This motion at its heart is political theatre.”

Councillor Stuart Graham (R, Micheldean) said Reform has 240,000 members and anyone with an EDL background does not get past the vetting to get into the party.

“EDL never did, never will add 240,000 members, and anybody with an EDL background doesn’t pass the vetting to get into Reform,” he said.

And Councillor Howard (R, Lydney), a former police officer, said there is a fear of crime in the public and they have had enough.

“There are people who are scared of migrants, rightly or wrongly, and it’s probably a negative prejudice on their part, but it can’t be helped.

“We have to protect our people. We have to protect our women, and we have to protect our children.

“They have a totally different culture with regards to us walking three paces behind.

“Who’s carrying the shopping?”

This was met with head shaking on the opposite side of the chamber.

Cllr Howard continued saying there were riots in the 1980s because the Government ignored its people.

“There is very little in the way of integration, and when it comes down to committing crimes, if it’s not bad enough, a person born and bred here in Britain.

“How are people feeling when we’ve imported that crime?

“We don’t know who these people are.

“They are not locked, they are not monitored.”

He summed up with a message from a former colleague who he claimed owned an Islamic business for over two years.

“It was very successful but fraught with difficulties,” he said.

“The things I heard discussed made me have the realization of the deep-seated hatred, and that was one of the reasons why I closed it.

“Not all were like that.”

Cllr Rebecca Trimnell (LD, Westgate) objected claiming the discussion was veering into hate speech and should be shut down.

While Cllr Howard said he was “sorry if the truth hurts”.

Cllr Patel also objected saying Cllr Howard was “spouting nonsense garbage”.

“What’s this nonsense about cultural issues and women walking three yards behind and all this.

“What absolute rubbish, absolute nonsense.

“I carry the shopping. Plenty do, a small minority, you guys go on recording people, but you’re recording people and putting that on Facebook and that’s your publicity.

“It’s absolute garbage.

“Chairman. I’ve never heard so much ridiculous bloody racism.

“I will not be sitting next to these Reform councillors from this meeting onwards.”

The motion was rejected with all Green Party, Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors voting against, Reform UK voting in favour, the Conservatives split with some voting against, abstaining and voting for.

Independent Alastair Chambers (Coney Hill and Matson) abstained.

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk