In pictures: Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate at Perth hotel
People demonstrating at an Abolish Asylum System protest outside the Radisson Hotel in Perth (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
Demonstrations under the Abolish Asylum System slogan will be held in major towns and cities around England (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
A separate batch of protests organised by Stand Up to Racism also being held across the UK (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
Alex Croft23 August 2025 12:27
Security minister says Labour will meet commitment to end 2024 asylum hotels
Dan Jarvis has vowed the Labour Government will meet its 2024 manifesto commitment to “end asylum hotels”.
Asked whether he was “worried about any copycat protests” following the High Court’s decision this week, the security minister told broadcasters: “We’ve made a very clear commitment that we’re going to close all of the asylum hotels.
“That was a manifesto commitment that we stood on and we will honour.
“We’re clearing up the legacy that we inherited from the previous government but the closures of these hotels need to be done in an ordered and managed way.”
Alex Croft23 August 2025 12:03
Watch: Stand Up To Racism rally and counter-protest outside the Holiday Inn at Cardiff AirportStand Up To Racism rally and counter-protest outside the Holiday Inn at Cardiff Airport
Alex Croft23 August 2025 11:46
Asylum hotels closure must not be done through ‘piecemeal court decisions’ – Cooper
The closure of asylum hotels must be done “in a properly managed way” rather than through “piecemeal court decisions”, the Home Secretary has said.
In a statement, Yvette Cooper said: “We agree with communities across the country that all asylum hotels need to close, including the Bell Hotel, and we are working to do so as swiftly as possible as part of an orderly, planned and sustained programme that avoids simply creating problems for other areas or local councils as a result of piecemeal court decisions or a return to the kind of chaos which led to so many hotels being opened in the first place.
“That is the reason for the Home Office appeal in this case, to ensure that going forward, the closure of all hotels can be done in a properly managed way right across the country without creating problems for other areas and local councils.”
Ms Cooper reiterated Labour’s manifesto commitment to end the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers.
She also accused the previous Conservative government of presiding over a “chaotic and disorderly situation” in 2022 that saw “140 extra hotels were opened in the space of six months because they lost control of the system”.
Yvette Cooper delivers a speech during the Border Security Summit in London (AFP/Getty)
Alex Croft23 August 2025 11:25
Dozens of counter-protesters gather in Perth
Alex Croft23 August 2025 11:00
In pictures: Anti-migrant protests sweep the UK in August
Protesters calling for the closure of the The Bell Hotel, believed to be housing asylum seekers, gather outside the council offices in Epping, northeast of London, on August 8 (AFP/Getty)
Dozens attended the rally in Portsmouth (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
People take part in an anti-migrant Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, on Friday (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Alex Croft23 August 2025 10:37
Recap: The High Court case between the Home Office and Epping Council
Setting the backdrop for the weekend of unrest is a crucial High Court case being fought between the government and an English council.
On Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council won an interim High Court injunction to stop asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Hotel, arguing it had become a “feeding ground for unrest” in recent weeks after a series of violent protests resulted in multiple arrests and saw police officers injured.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper made a last-minute attempt on Tuesday to halt their removal, arguing that other councils would make similar applications for migrant accommodation in their areas.
However, Mr Justice Eyre dismissed her application and has given the council until 12 September to move asylum seekers out of the hotel. Somani Hotels Limited, which runs the hotel, can apply to the Court of Appeal to try to reverse the decision.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described the ruling as “a moment of relief for the people of Epping”, while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it was “a victory for the mums and dads” in the local area, “who just want their children to be safe”.
Alex Croft23 August 2025 10:20
Explained: How much is the government paying to house asylum seekers in hotels?Explained: How much is the government paying to house asylum seekers in hotels?
Alex Croft23 August 2025 10:02
When are anti-racism protests scheduled for?
Stand Up to Racism, the anti-racism group which is organising more than a dozen counter-protests against the anti-migrant groups, has released the timings of a number of its protests on Saturday.
It is unclear exactly when the anti-migrant protests are due to start, but they are expected to take place at similar times.
Here are the timings and locations of the anti-racism events:
- 11am, Perth – Radisson Hotel
- 12pm, Bristol – Castle Park
- 12pm, Exeter – Hampton by Hilton
- 12pm, Tamworth – Holiday Inn Express
- 12:30pm, Cannock – Bandstand
- 1pm, Liverpool – St George’s Hall
- 1pm, Mold – Mold Bus Station
- 1pm, Newcastle – New Bridge Hotel
- 1pm, Nuneaton – Town Hall
- 2pm, Wakefield – Cedar Court Hotel
- 3pm, London – Britannia Canary Wharf
- 6pm, Westhill (Aberdeen) – Hampton by Hilton.
(Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Alex Croft23 August 2025 09:45
Comment | Grotesque hypocrisy of politicians is making police work more difficult
The already daunting task facing officers this weekend is made infinitely more challenging by the grotesque hypocrisy of populist politicians who, until they were voted out at the last general election, had been arguing for – and swiftly advancing – the very thing they are now denouncing.
Then there is the rabble rousing rhetoric of online agitators who seem to care little for the truth or for the consequences of their words. Threats of violence have reportedly compelled some refugee support organisations to install safe rooms in their offices, or to move locations, or to close altogether.
And the officers who will be dealing with this incendiary mess are the same ones who would otherwise be policing local neighbourhoods. Despite what politicians of all parties would frequently have you believe, there are no boxes of additional constables kept in reserve for combustible weekends such as these. At a time when local people are expressing significant concern about local crime and antisocial behaviour, their local officers won’t be available to answer their calls.
Alex Croft23 August 2025 09:25