Prime minister Harold Wilson’s quip that “a week is a long time in politics”, which he made during one of the UK’s seemingly never-ending crises in the 1960s, aptly describes what has happened in this country in recent days.
Reform UK’s astonishing set of results in Thursday’s local elections and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election has caused a political earthquake.
Leader Nigel Farage now hopes to position the anti-immigration party as significant political force in UK.
Last year, he put forward a ‘contract’ (manifesto) that proposed some radical changes, including when it comes to housing.
Farage’s party has wasted no time causing a political stir by pledging to resist housing asylum seekers in its new council areas.
Reform UK has not provided specific details on how it would resist housing people seeking asylum in areas where it controls councils. However, party’s chair, Zia Yusuf, has pledged to use “every instrument of power” to take action.
It is likely that they would advocate for policies that would make it more difficult for asylum seekers to be housed in these areas. These policies could include:
+ Prioritizing housing for local residents: Reform UK could push for policies that prioritize housing for people who have lived in the area for a certain amount of time, making it more difficult for asylum seekers to access housing.
+ Limiting the number of asylum seekers housed in the area: Reform UK could advocate for caps on the number of asylum seekers housed in their controlled areas, potentially through negotiations with the central government.
+ Challenging the suitability of housing provided: Reform UK could challenge the suitability of housing offered to asylum seekers on various grounds, such as size, location, or facilities, to prevent them from being housed there.
+ Reducing the support available to asylum seekers: While councils have limited control over central government asylum support, Reform UK could potentially lobby for reduced local services or resources that might be accessed by asylum seekers.
+ Public campaigns and local opposition: Reform UK could leverage its control of councils to organize public campaigns and generate local opposition to the housing of asylum seekers in the area.
It is important to note that councils have limited legal power to unilaterally refuse to house asylum seekers, as this is largely a matter for the central government and its contracts with accommodation providers. Any actions taken by Reform UK-controlled councils would likely involve lobbying the government, utilizing existing planning or housing regulations where possible, and potentially engaging in legal challenges.
But that will not stop Reform UK from attempting to use “judicial reviews, injunctions, planning laws” in an effort to prevent people seeking asylum from being accommodated.
“You know, a lot of these hotels – there has been litigation around this already – a lot of these hotels, when you suddenly turn them into something else, which is essentially a hostel that falls foul of any number of regulations, and that’s what our teams of lawyers are exploring at the moment,” Yusuf told the BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
What might Reform UK’s election success mean for housing?
