Robert Jenrick claims UK ‘already island of strangers’ – and names locations with ‘segregated society’

Published

3 months ago

May 13, 2025

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Robert Jenrick has claimed the UK is “already an island of strangers” after the prime minister faced criticism for using that phrase in a speech on migration.

The shadow justice secretary told Sky News Breakfast with Wilfred Frost that the UK was not at risk of becoming an “island of strangers”, as Sir Keir claimed, but that this already the reality.

Politics latest: PM under fire for ‘island of strangers’ phrase

Asked if he agreed with the PM’s language he said: “I think we already are. I think there are certain places in this country where people are not living side by side, where we are a very divided and segregated society.

“If you look at the centre of Bradford, for example, 50% of people were not born in the UK. If you look at the centre of Luton, almost 50% of people only arrived in the UK in the last 10 years. If you look at parts of Dagenham, the white British population has reduced by 50% in the last 25 years.”

In 2021, 80.1% of Bradford residents reported their country of birth as England according to the ONS, while in Luton the figure is 60.3% of the local population and in Barking and Dagenham it was 58.2%.

In Barking and Dagenham, about 85% of the population identified as white in 2001, which fell to 58.3% in 2011 and 44.9% in 2021.

In his speech on Monday announcing a package of measures to reduce net migration, Sir Keir pledged a new system that is “controlled, selective and fair”.

He said without the fair rules, “we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together”.

The comment has attracted criticism from within his own party, including Labour MP Sarah Owen, who said it could put the UK on “a very dark path”.

The chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee said “fair and sensible” checks on immigration “should not equal blaming all the woes of our country on immigrants”.

“The best way to avoid becoming an ‘island of strangers’ is investing in communities to thrive – not pitting people against each other,” she added.

“I’ve said it before and will say it again, chasing the tail of the right risks taking our country down a very dark path.”

Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Nottingham East, also said the phrase mimicked the “scaremongering of the far-right”, while former shadow chancellor John McDonnell argued it was reminiscent of the late politician Enoch Powell.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the prime minister, pointing out “he also said we are a diverse nation and that he celebrates that”.

She added: “It is possible to both say that we have had huge benefits through generations by people coming, being part of communities, contributing, and also that that will continue to be important in the future, and also say we have a problem with the immigration system and that net migration needs to come down.”

Politics

Fed governor tells bankers DeFi is ‘nothing to be afraid of’

Published

3 hours ago

August 21, 2025

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Fed governor tells bankers DeFi is ‘nothing to be afraid of’

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller urged policymakers and bankers to stop fearing DeFi and stablecoins, saying they will drive the next wave of innovation in the US payments system.

Politics

Two Labour-run councils ‘considering all options’ to challenge migrant hotel use

Published

4 hours ago

August 21, 2025

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Two Labour-run councils 'considering all options' to challenge migrant hotel use

Two Labour-run councils are considering legal action to stop the use of hotels to house migrants in their areas after Epping council won a temporary injunction.

The leaders of Wirral and Tamworth councils both say they are considering their legal options in the wake of the Epping case, citing similar concerns about the impact of the hotels on their local communities.

Politics latest: Judge in Epping hotel case was Tory candidate four times

Epping Forest District Council won an interim High Court injunction on Tuesday to stop migrants being housed at The Bell Hotel, after arguing its owners did not have planning permission to do so.

Paula Basnett, the Labour leader of Wirral council, said: “We are actively considering all options available to us to ensure that any use of hotels or other premises in Wirral is lawful and does not ride roughshod over planning regulations or the wishes of our communities.”

She added: “If necessary, we will not hesitate to challenge such decisions in order to protect both residents and those seeking refuge.”

Carol Dean, the Labour leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said she understands the “strong feelings” of residents about the use of a local hotel to house asylum seekers.

She pointed out that under the Labour government, the use of hotels has halved from 402 to 210, with the aim of stopping the use of any hotels by 2029.

But in light of the Epping case, she said “we are closely monitoring developments and reviewing our legal position”.

Badenoch backs more council rebellions

Other Tory councils are also being encouraged to follow Epping’s lead by party leader Kemi Badenoch.

She has sent a letter to all the councils they control, pledging her support for them to fight migrant hotels.

She wrote: “The Epping hotel injunction is a victory for local people led by a good Conservative council working hard for their community. This is the difference Conservatives in local government deliver. Real plans. Real action.”

Conservative-run Broxbourne Council has announced it is exploring its legal options.

The Reform UK leader of Kent County Council has also said she was writing to fellow leaders in Kent to explore whether they could potentially take legal action.

Government under pressure

The prospect of more rulings in favour of councils will leave ministers asking where else they might be able to house asylum seekers. Other options may include flats and ex-army bases.

The prime minister and the home secretary are under huge pressure to clear the asylum backlog and stop using hotels across the country to house those waiting for their applications to be processed.

Protests have sprung up at migrant hotels across the country. But The Bell Hotel in Epping became a focal point in recent weeks after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

The council sought an interim High Court injunction to stop migrants from being accommodated at the hotel, owned by Somani Hotels Limited, on the basis that using it for that purpose contravened local planning regulations.

The interim injunction demanded that the hotel be cleared of its occupants within 14 days, but in his ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary block, while extending the time limit by which it must stop housing asylum seekers to 12 September.

Somani Hotels said it intended to appeal the decision. Its barrister, Piers Riley-Smith, argued it would set a precedent that could affect “the wider strategy” of housing asylum seekers in hotels.

Epping hotel ‘sidestepped public scrutiny’

A government attempt to delay the application was rejected by the High Court judge. Home Office barristers had argued the case had a “substantial impact” on the government performing its legal duties to asylum seekers.

But Mr Justice Eyre dismissed the Home Office’s bid, stating that the department’s involvement was “not necessary”.

The judge said the hotel’s owners “sidestepped the public scrutiny and explanation which would otherwise have taken place if an application for planning permission or for a certificate of lawful use had been made”.

Reacting to Tuesday’s judgment, border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government will “continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns”.

She added: “Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this parliament.”