Tory MP Jack Rankin is set to lead a debate on asylum hotels amid rising tensions over Labour’s handling of the situation
Windsor: So, there’s a bit of a stir going on with the whole asylum hotel situation. Jack Rankin, the local MP, is gearing up to lead a debate in Westminster Hall about it. This comes after some drama over The Manor Hotel in Datchet reopening for asylum seekers.
Rankin didn’t hold back in an interview with GB News, saying Labour had promised to sort this mess out. He’s pretty frustrated, especially since the Home Office gave barely any notice before moving in up to 85 single adult male migrants last October.
The Manor Hotel had just been returned to public use at the start of 2024, so you can see why folks are upset. Rankin’s got a point when he says that if this is happening in his little village of Datchet, it’s probably affecting other communities too.
He mentioned that Datchet is a quaint place with about 4,000 residents, right by the Thames. It’s close to the royal castle, so it’s not exactly a big city. He’s worried about how this impacts local services like the NHS.
Meanwhile, a Home Office spokesperson defended the government’s actions, saying they’re trying to get the asylum system back on track. They claim to have sent back over 16,000 people who shouldn’t be in the UK since the last election.
But not everyone agrees. Dame Angela Eagle pointed out that the backlog is massive and can’t be fixed overnight. Tim Naor Hilton from Refugee Action called it a crisis, highlighting the struggles of both asylum seekers and locals waiting for housing.
The debate is set for Tuesday, January 21, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out!
