The Home Secretary has sharply criticised Bridgwater MP Sir Ashley Fox over his remarks regarding the use of hotels in the constituency to accommodate migrants.
On Monday, November 17, Shabana Mahmood MP delivered a statement in the House of Commons outlining a series of reforms designed to overhaul the UK’s asylum system, aiming to reduce the backlog and curb unnecessary legal challenges.
In response, Conservative MP Sir Ashley Fox welcomed Labour’s apparent policy shift but urged Ms Mahmood to take bolder action. He expressed his hope that the Holiday Inn in Bridgwater would soon be “emptied of migrants and returned to commercial use.”
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Ms Mahmood firmly rejected these remarks, stating she would not accept any lessons from Mr Fox or his party regarding hotel use, accusing them of lecturing the current government on an issue they were responsible for creating.
Sir Ashley Fox, who has represented Bridgwater since the 2022 general election, made his comments immediately following Ms Mahmood’s statement. He said: “I thank the Home Secretary for her statement. Labour’s change of course is welcome, and some useful steps have been outlined. My constituents want to see the Holiday Inn in Bridgwater cleared of migrants and restored to commercial operation. To achieve this, she must be bolder. Does she agree that anyone arriving in the country illegally should be detained immediately and deported?”
The Holiday Inn Express in question is located on Market Way near junction 24 of the M5, close to the White Willow pub and Sedgemoor Auction Centre. Although currently marked “temporarily closed” on Google Maps, the Home Office announced in November 2022 that it would house up to 300 migrants. This decision was met with opposition from the then Bridgwater and West Somerset MP, Ian Liddell-Grainger.
Social media had frequently mentioned the hotel over the summer, including plans for a protest by self-described “proud, patriotic citizens of England” scheduled for August 17, which was ultimately cancelled. Organiser Mark Reynolds posted on Facebook that the residents were mostly families—married couples with children—who appeared to be integrating well into local society.
Ms Mahmood, who has represented Birmingham Ladywood since 2010, struck back by reminding Mr Fox of his party’s role in the hotel accommodation policy. She stated, “I’m not going to take any lessons from the party that introduced hotel use in the first place and is now lecturing me on how to end it. This government has committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation by the end of this parliament. We hope to achieve this even sooner by exploring larger sites, including military facilities. I anticipate further debate on this issue in the coming weeks and months. Meanwhile, I urge the honourable gentleman to reflect on his party’s legacy.”