Canary Wharf’s new migrant hotel has been slammed for turning the banking district into a “dumping ground” for Labour’s failures. Protestors have taken to the streets of London this week to oppose the swanky Britannia International Hotel being used to house asylum seekers. Campaigners have blamed the city’s mayor and Labour for the “decline” of the once thriving financial hub.
The city’s downfall has also been accredited to Labour’s tax raids pushing people out of not only the capital, but the UK altogether. Susan Hall, the Conservative Assembly member and former London mayoral candidate, said: “The fact migrants are now being housed in one of the wealthiest and most important parts of London is a sad sign of the city’s decline under Sadiq Khan and Labour.
“Tax raids have driven out investors and business people. Canary Wharf should be the financial heart of London, not a dumping ground for Labour’s immigration failures.”
A protest took place outside of Britannia after workmen were seen carrying in beds and food supplies into the hotel, and the local council confirmed the Home Office’s plans to house migrants at the four-star site.
Tower Hamlets Council said: “We are aware of the Government’s decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.
“It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.”
The protests follow a series of demonstrations in Epping, Essex, after an asylum seeker in a migrant hotel was charged with sexual assault.
Rumours later emerged about the asylum seekers in Epping being moved to the Canary Wharf hotel, yet these were incorrect. However, Ms Hall said the immigration issues that Britain faces span wider than Essex.
“The residents’ protest in Epping is not a local phenomenon. It is not surprising people were angry when a different group of asylum seekers were moved into the hotel to Canary Wharf, and it will not make the issue go away,” she told The Telegraph.
“We are seeing Labour taking Londoners for a ride and making decisions without consulting local communities, riding roughshod over authorities. This cannot continue – and if Sadiq Khan had a spine, he’d ring No 10 and tell them that.”
