Labour Councils Consider Legal Challenges to Close Asylum Hotels After Court Ruling

Following a High Court ruling that ordered asylum seekers to be removed from the Bell Hotel in Epping, more local authorities across England, including Labour-led councils such as Wirral and Tamworth, are exploring legal challenges to close hotels housing asylum seekers. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and other officials are encouraging councils to use planning laws and seek injunctions against migrant hotels, while the government is preparing contingency plans, including the possible use of former military sites, to accommodate asylum seekers if hotels are forced to close. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper remains committed to phasing out asylum hotels by the end of the current parliament, describing the recent court ruling as a narrow issue that will not derail the broader plan. Council leaders have expressed concerns about the government's lack of consultation and disregard for local planning regulations when placing asylum seekers in hotels, emphasizing the need for lawful and community-sensitive arrangements. Meanwhile, barristers and political figures have called for increased legal and community action to address what they describe as an ongoing scandal costing millions daily. The political discourse around the asylum hotel issue remains heated, with some urging protests and others warning against divisive rhetoric.