Newslinks for Wednesday 20th August 2025

Labour asylum plans in tatters as Tory-led council sees court order for migrant hotel closure

“Migrant hotels across the UK are at risk of closure after a High Court ruling threw the Government’s asylum plans into turmoil. Council leaders won a temporary injunction to close the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Tuesday after it became a focus for anti-immigration protests. All asylum seekers must now leave the hotel by Sept 12. The court sided with Epping Forest district council after the authority claimed that placing asylum seekers in the Bell was a “clear breach of planning permission” because it was no longer being used as a hotel. On Tuesday night, Tory and Reform UK leaders said other councils would now mount similar legal actions to shut asylum hotels in their areas. Home Office lawyers – who tried and failed to intervene in the case at the last minute – had told the High Court that any other applications could “aggravate pressures on the asylum estate”. They warned that the decision “ran the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests” and said injunction applications could become a “new norm adopted by local authorities”. Writing for The Telegraph, Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, signalled that the 12 councils controlled by his party would mount similar legal challenges. Mr Farage urged people to hold protests to persuade their local authorities to take action… Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “It is very likely that many other councils will now take similar legal action. This would leave the Government’s asylum accommodation policy in disarray given the chaos being caused in communities, including serious criminal offences such as sexual attacks.” On Tuesday night, Conservative-run Broxbourne borough council became the first authority to say it was considering whether to pursue its own injunction. The council said it would “take legal advice as a matter of urgency” about attempting to shut down a four-star asylum hotel in the Hertfordshire town.” – Daily Telegraph

• Asylum housing scheme in chaos after council fights back – The Times
• UK fails to stop removal of asylum seekers from Essex hotel at centre of immigration debate – Financial Times
• Could the Epping asylum hotel injunction set a precedent for other councils? – ITV News
• Now MORE Councils weigh up legal action to stop asylum seekers being housed in migrant hotels after stunning ‘victory’ in High Court – as Nigel Farage calls for other areas to ‘follow Epping’s lead’ – Daily Mail
• Labour blasts Robert Jenrick for attending Epping migrant protest while branding demonstrators ‘far-right’ – GBNews
• What High Court ruling means for migrant hotels across Britain – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Epping has shown the way to win – Nigel Farage, Daily Telegraph
• The Epping asylum hotel decision is a disaster for Yvette Cooper – Eliot Wilson, The i
• High court asylum hotels ruling leaves Cooper scrambling for alternatives – Rajeev Syal, The Guardian
• Epping hotel migrant ban is massive victory for the ordinary mums & dads who stood up to protect their kids – The Sun Says
• There is no future in politics of victimhood – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times

> Today: Flags aren’t the problem, it’s people trying to dictate what they mean

UK inflation nearly double Bank of England’s target after Reeves’ tax raid

“UK inflation rose by more than expected last month as demand for summer travel pushed up air fares and food prices continued to climb, official figures revealed today. Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation increased to 3.8 per cent in July, from 3.6 per cent in June, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Most economists had been forecasting inflation to rise to 3.7 per cent. But the headline rate remained at the highest level since January 2024, when it hit 4 per cent. Although the rate is still well below the peak of 11.1 per cent reached in October 2022,  last month’s level is now at nearly double the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target. Transport was the biggest factor driving up overall inflation last month, particularly due to a spike in flight prices as families booked trips in the school summer holidays. The ONS said air fares soared by 30.2 per cent between June and July, the biggest jump since the collection of monthly data began in 2001. The average price of petrol rose by 2p per litre between June and July, and the average diesel price by 2.9p per litre over the period, the data showed. Prices across UK restaurants and hotels also increased last month, largely driven by a jump in overnight hotel stays booked the night before. Food and drink inflation rose to 4.9 per cent in July, from 4.5 per cent in June. This marked the fourth month in a row that the annual rate had increased and remained at the highest level since February 2024… Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride MP said: ‘This morning’s news that inflation has risen even higher than the 2 per cent target is deeply worrying for families. Labour’s choices to tax jobs and ramp up borrowing are pushing up costs and stoking inflation – making everyday essentials more expensive.’… And shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith added: ‘The fault for this inflation lies squarely in Downing Street. Labour’s jobs tax, rates hikes and minimum wage rises have all fed through to higher prices – just as predicted. This should give the Chancellor real pause for thought before inflicting any more tax rises this autumn.’” – Daily Mail

• Rachel Reeves plans to tax high-value homes to plug fiscal black hole – The Times
• Tories challenge Rachel Reeves to rule out £15,000 ‘family homes tax’ on struggling Brits – Daily Express
• Fears new Labour property tax will hit the hardest workers, as Rachel Reeves’s minister refuses to rule out controversial new levy to replace stamp duty – Daily Mail
• Inflation jumps in wake of Reeves tax raid – Daily Telegraph
• Rachel Reeves’ horror impact on UK pubs revealed – and it’s hitting your wallet – Daily Express
• Reeves warned tax reform would be ‘rushed’ and lead to snags – CityAM
• The tax traps Reeves must fix to grow the economy – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Rachel Reeves, a property tax will be the end of your career – Kwasi Kwarteng, The i
• Reeves’s fiscal recklessness is causing even more pain than we feared – Matthew Lynn, Daily Telegraph
• Rachel Reeves is playing with fire – and pensioners are getting burned – Harvey Jones, Daily Express

> Today: John Redwood: This Budget will tell us whether or not Reeves has learned her lesson

Tom Collins: To win the future, Conservatives must rebuild a property-owning democracy

> Yesterday: Reeves’ rumoured property levy could add up to merely yet another tax on younger people

Tommy Robinson charging for far-right advice

“The far-right activist Tommy Robinson is making thousands of pounds charging his followers for video consultations offering “expert advice” on anti-Islam activism. Robinson, 42, who co-founded the English Defence League (EDL), has used a personal mentoring platform to deliver more than 300 sessions in the past two months. Customers submit questions and he responds with written advice or video messages costing up to £28 a minute. Those who have paid for the sessions include extremists who use racial slurs, call Muslims “Islamic rats” and demand violence against migrants. In one consultation featured on his profile, a customer called for a military-style “firm” to “protect our border from invasion”. In response Robinson warned of “the danger of Islam”, said that Britain was in a “race against time” and predicted “chaos” would come. A Times reporter posing as an aspiring activist sent Robinson questions asking his advice on protesting and anti-Islam activism. He sent back four videos. Three were received on August 3 and 4 while he was wanted for questioning by police over an alleged assault at St Pancras station. He has since been arrested and bailed after returning voluntarily to Britain from Portugal and claims he was acting in self-defence. In the videos, which were received while he was abroad, Robinson spoke about dealing with “infiltration” by security services and described protests at hotels housing asylum seekers as “brilliant”. He said it was “brilliant the fact it’s not co-ordinated by anyone like me” and that the protests would “give people a sense of confidence in standing up, which is what’s currently happening”. He said: “It’s going to spread all summer.” In the fourth clip, received on August 6, he encouraged a reporter who was posing as a young follower to investigate local mosques and post about it online. “Get active, son … Find some confidence,” he said. “Maybe investigate the mosques, all these sorts of things, bruv. Look at the funding. Start doing videos talking about it.” He also promoted a rally he was organising in London next month, which he said would be “the biggest thing this country’s seen”.” – The Times

• Tommy Robinson charging £28-a-minute as a ‘personal mentor’ providing ‘expert advice’ to the far-right – LBC News
• Family in fear after Tommy Robinson shares video of black man with white granddaughters – The Guardian
• Ashton United FC issues scathing statement after ‘pro Tommy Robinson’ chants at match – Manchester Evening News

News in brief:

• Labour has bet on the wrong horse: the racing industry isn’t roulette – Mary Harrington, Unherd
• What is the point of economic growth? – Chris Bayliss, The Critic
• The joy of Giorgia Meloni – Madeline Grant, The Spectator
• What Norway can teach Labour about investment – Thomas Pasquier, CapX