HOUSING migrants in hotels across the country is costing a fortune, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden MP has said.
Commenting on a GB News exclusive about migrants being housed in a hotel in Blackpool, he said: “What’s happened is the Home Office has ended up hooking hotels in places like Blackpool and around the country to put people up for extended periods of time because of their own failure to process applications and it’s costing a fortune.
“It is the Home Office and their system failures that has resulted in people staying in hotels in Blackpool, not just Blackpool but many other towns and cities around the country.”
In an interview on GB News, he said: “Keir Starmer made a speech yesterday to the employers organisation, the CBI, and he addressed the issue of immigration. And what he’s saying is that, of course, we will always need legal migration and people to come to this country to work hard.
“And you know, that contribution, in part [has] made Britain what it is today. But alongside that, of course, we need to do more to train and equip our own workers. That’s what we need to make sure people are equipped for the jobs of the future.
“So for example, one policy we have is to make sure every primary school has a breakfast club, so that parents who have young children can get back to work as soon as possible. That’s something that would help people here in this country.”
Asked about the new round of rail strikes, he said: “Look, no one wants to see strikes, because these strikes produce huge inconvenience for the public…
“Me condemning them doesn’t bring a settlement one inch closer. But all this is happening under the Tories’ watch. Where are the ministers? Why aren’t they engaging in this to try to produce a settlement?
“Because with the railways not working properly, all of it feeds into the idea that there are a number of things in Britain not working properly. At the moment, people are scrambling to try to get an appointment with a GP, we’ve got 7 million people on NHS waiting lists.
“Why are so many basic services not working properly? And what are ministers going to do about it? The railways is one aspect of that but there are many others right now, too.”
He told GB News: “This has to be resolved around the negotiating table. I understand why people want a decent pay raise when inflation is running at 10, or 11%. All of this and the affordability of what’s available has to be taken into account.
“Maybe the union won’t get everything they want. At the end of the day, maybe the employers will have to give a little bit more than they wanted initially.
“Either way, we want to see a negotiated settlement today so we can have a properly functioning railway again, particularly in the run up to the Christmas and New Year period.”
