Cabinet Minister: Farage and Reform Risk Stirring Up Migrant Tensions

Nigel Farage and Reform UK are “fuelling anger” around migrant hotels, a senior cabinet minister has cautioned.

According to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Reform leader Nigel Farage is less focused on undertaking the migrant and small boat crisis and more on harnessing it for political will.

The education secretary’s comments came less than a day after Reform suspended councillor James Regan of Epping for racist posts during protests at the Bell Hotel in Essex.

Among his comments, the 61-year-old councillor called the hotel “a third-world paedophile babysitting centre”.

During an appearance on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Reform deputy leader Richard Tice ferociously dismissed Ms Phillipson’s claims, calling them “ridiculous” and “outrageous”.

When questioned about the migrant crisis—including asylum hotels and Channel crossings—the education secretary focused much of her criticism on Nigel Farage and Reform, who, according to a YouGov poll on Friday, are eight points ahead of Labour.

She made the following comments: “I understand the frustration that people feel, because I understand when they see, for example, asylum hotels and big numbers of people in their community.

“I understand how that can make people feel.

“But Nigel Farage and Reform, they don’t actually want to sort this problem – interests are served by whipping up anger rather than fixing it.”

Asked to explain the difference between Labour’s and Reform’s positions on immigration, Ms Phillipson answered, “The difference is we’ll actually take action.”

Ms Phillipson was pressed earlier on why the number of migrants crossing the Channel has increased under Labour since the party came to power in July 2024.

Ms Phillipson also repeatedly avoided stating whether she supported Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to send Home Office lawyers to court, asserting that the rights of migrants at the Bell Hotel took precedence over those of Epping locals.

She attributed the situation to the “inheritance from the Tories” and committed to closing the hotel, adding, “But it has to be done in an orderly fashion.”

Reform’s deputy leader pushed back, describing as “ridiculous” the notion that the party was urging people to enter hotels and threaten asylum seekers.

When asked if he could be clear, there was “no encouragement” from the party for “the sort of person who wants to break into asylum hotels in masks and to intimidate asylum seekers”. Mr Tice angrily replied, “Of course, what a ridiculous suggestion.”

“It’s an outrageous suggestion. Of course we’re not suggesting that,” he made very clear.

“We’ve always suggested lawful, peaceful protest, nothing else.”

In west London on Saturday, a group of masked men tried to enter a hotel amid clashes between anti-immigration protesters and anti-racism demonstrators across the UK.

In west London on Saturday, a group of masked men tried to enter a hotel amid clashes between anti-immigration protesters and anti-racism demonstrators across the UK.

This follows the government’s successful court challenge allowing asylum seekers to remain at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, with protests reported this weekend in Newcastle, Falkirk, Aberdeen, Gloucester, London, and Essex.

At the same time, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, accused Ms Phillipson of backing government lawyers in giving precedence to the rights of illegal migrants over British citizens.

He stated, “The truth is that Labour are making a choice—a choice to keep hotels open and a choice to place the interests of illegal immigrants above local residents.

“Labour could back the Conservatives’ Deportation Bill this week and get a serious grip on all of this. If the government agrees to introduce the Deportation Bill this week, the Conservatives will support it, but as the Education Secretary made clear today, “Labour just cares too much about protecting the interests of illegal immigrants.”