Sir Keir Starmer has been branded “toxic” for claiming that there is “lots of housing” available for homeless British families and for asylum seekers. The Prime Minister made the bizarre comment to a Commons committee. But Conservative MP Sir James Cleverly, the new shadow housing secretary, said the comment showed the Prime Minister was more interested in providing accommodation for asylum seekers than young British workers.
Mr Cleverly told Times Radio: “I was furious, I genuinely couldn’t believe he said this, when the Prime Minister was at the Liaison Committee and blithely said, ‘oh, there are plenty of houses around the UK for asylum seekers’, when there are people telling us and telling him that they’re struggling to get on the housing ladder.
“And he dismisses their concerns in one line and once again demonstrates he is more interested in finding accommodation for asylum seekers than for hard-working young people here in the UK. And that is toxic.”
MPs had asked him when the Government was going to end the scandal of homeless families being forced into temporary accommodation. And two Labour MPs, Dame Meg Hillier and Florence Eshalomi, pointed out that councils attempting to house local residents faced competition from the Home Office, which is buying up properties for asylum seekers as it trues to move then out of hotels.
Sir Keir has also been condemned by Susan Hall, Conservative member of the London assembly and former candidate for London mayor. She said: “Our prime minister is living in a bubble and hasn’t a clue!”
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “That’s madness. What is he going on about?”.
The Home Office has confirmed it is trying to buy properties to place asylum seekers in, and said it is working with local councils to ensure it does not make local housing shortages worse.
Labour MP and Committee chair Dame Meg Hillier told Sir Keir during the Commons committee hearing: “It is just that we have the Home Office bidding for homes for asylum seekers, and we have councils bidding for the same properties …”
And Labour MP Florence Eshalomi added “… for the homeless. Everyone is chasing the same ones.”
Dame Meg continued: “It is driving up the price and the cost.”
Sir Keir told the inquiry: “We have to take over other accommodation, and we have to drive down the asylum lists. There is no alternative.”
He was asked by Dame Meg: “Just to pinpoint this, precisely what other accommodation are you planning to take over to provide temporary accommodation for families?”
The Prime Minister replied: “There is lots of housing in many local authorities that can be used, and we are identifying where it can be used.”