Jeremy Corbyn has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “political cowardice” after the party said it would continue to temporarily house asylum seekers on barges if it wins the next election.

The former Labour leader described the use of vessels as “morally indefensible”.

It comes as the first asylum seekers arrived on the controversial Bibby Stockholm vessel in Dorset this morning, with more arrivals expected throughout the day.

The barge is one of a number of alternative sites the Home Office is using to end reliance on expensive hotels for asylum seekers, which the government says is costing the taxpayer £6m a day.

On Sunday, Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock admitted Labour would have “no choice” but to continue to use the alternative sites owing to the “mess” it would inherit from the Conservatives – but said the party would try to move asylum seekers out of hotels, barges and military camps as “quickly as possible”.

International Trade Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds reiterated Labour’s position this morning, telling Sky News: “We have to address the situation that we inherit, but our policy is to drive the backlog down so we don’t have to use the barges, we don’t have to use the bases, we don’t have to use the hotels.

“It’s not a question of lowering expectations – it’s a question of being open and upfront with the British public about the chaos that we are going to inherit, but also the direction that we then want to go in, which is best for those people trapped in the system but also best value for the taxpayer too.”

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But Mr Corbyn told Sky News: “Forcing human beings who have escaped war and persecution to live on unsafe and overcrowded prison ships is morally indefensible.

“So too is the failure to offer a more humane alternative.

“These are human beings who are legally and legitimately exercising their right to asylum. We should be defending, not denigrating, that right.

“Political cowardice has consequences – and vulnerable people will pay the highest price.”

He added: “That’s why I’m proud to stand alongside people in my constituency campaigning for an immigration system based on dignity and care.”

So far no backbench Labour MPs have spoken out publicly in line with Mr Corbyn, who had the party whip removed in 2020.

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There has been considerable local opposition to the Bibby Stockholm due to concerns about the asylum seekers’ welfare and the impact on local services.

Charities have also raised concerns about whether such sites are suitable for those seeking asylum.

Natasha Tsangarides, associate director of advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said: “Cruel accommodation schemes like barges and tents are wholly inappropriate for people who have fled torture and war.”

Sky News has approached the Labour Party for comment on Mr Corbyn’s remarks.

Mr Corbyn spoke as questions remain over his political future and whether he intends to stay on as the MP for Islington North, a constituency he has represented since 1983.

The former leader was suspended from the parliamentary party in October 2020 over his reaction to a damning report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into how antisemitism complaints were handled under his leadership.

Should Mr Corbyn wish to remain as the MP for Islington North he would have to run for another party or as an independent. While he has dropped suggestions that he may do the latter, he has not been explicit about his intentions.

Immediately after the publication of the antisemitism report, Mr Corbyn claimed “the scale of the problem” in Labour was “dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents”.

On becoming party leader, Sir Keir promised to “tear out antisemitism” from Labour.

In March he barred Mr Corbyn from standing for Labour at the next election after proposing a successful motion to the party’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, that it should not endorse his predecessor to fight for his Islington North seat.