Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch has accused Andy Burnham of implementing a migrant housing plan with political motivations, asserting that the Prime Minister believes residents in certain middle-class areas do not support his party and must therefore accept the arrival of asylum seekers. Badenoch likened this approach to a proposal by Reform UK to place detention centers in areas with Green Party representation, calling it a "rotten principle."
Badenoch stated that despite a "more upbeat" demeanor, Burnham is leading the "same spiteful class-warfare Labour Party" as his predecessor. Her comments follow the government's defense of plans to establish a camp for 1,250 male asylum seekers at a former military base near Piddington, Oxfordshire, a village with a population of 400 and a Liberal Democrat constituency. Similar plans are underway to house a comparable number of migrants at a disused RAF base in Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire, a constituency held by the Conservative Party.
Burnham has indicated that middle England must accommodate more migrants, arguing against a system where "only the poorest communities in the country receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers." He is reportedly determined to reform the current practice of housing asylum seekers in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in deprived areas, even if it incurs higher costs to ensure fairness.
Home Office minister Anna Turley echoed concerns, stating that housing asylum seekers in areas with "cheaper" housing has previously "created real civil unrest." Badenoch, writing in the Daily Mail, contended that the political rationale behind the policy is clear, suggesting Burnham is adopting a strategy similar to Reform UK's by targeting areas that do not vote Labour.
"The message from Burnham's Labour is clear: the people of Piddington, or Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, or various other quaint villages near RAF bases, aren't Labour people, so they are just going to have to lump it," Badenoch stated.
A Labour Member of Parliament, Rachael Maskell, has voiced opposition to the migrant camp plan in Linton-on-Ouse, citing concerns about the demographic ratio in the village and its proximity to a primary school and nursery, with limited public transport options.
A Labour source responded to Badenoch's criticism by pointing to the Conservative government's handling of illegal migration and its previous use of hotels for asylum seekers, which incurred significant daily costs. A government spokesperson affirmed efforts to close asylum hotels and move asylum seekers into basic accommodation, including former military sites. They stated that the overall number of asylum seekers in accommodation is decreasing, with a 35 percent reduction in hotel usage over the past year and a total cost reduction of £1 billion under the current government. The spokesperson also noted a commitment to fairly housing asylum seekers across the country in cooperation with local authorities and by addressing local concerns.