MP and council clash in asylum seeker housing row

Nus Ghani is the MP for Wealden and the deputy speaker of the House of Commons

An MP and council leader have clashed amid government plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers at a military site in East Sussex.

The Home Office has announced plans to temporarily place about 600 people in the Crowborough Training Camp.

Wealden MP Nus Ghani said she was "disgusted" that Wealden District Council (WDC) had "withheld information from all of us from their ongoing negotiations with the Home Office".

WDC leader James Partridge said: "I absolutely understand her frustration, but to accuse people of lack of leadership and then proceed to publish all sorts of things which frankly show no leadership at all but a desire to raise the temperature make life difficult for everybody."

Ghani said she had written to the home secretary to "to ask for clarity on what has been negotiated to date, and what a consultation will mean for our community."

She said she did this due to WDC's "failures to ask the appropriate questions necessary".

Local Liberal Democrat leader Partridge said the exchange with the MP was "really unhelpful" and "irresponsible".

He explained that WDC asked the Home Office if they should make their local MP aware of the situation, but was told the government would do it.

Partridge said: "This is no way for the deputy speaker of the House of Commons to behave."

He added that he agreed with people questioning political decisions, but in a "constructive, non-inflammatory way".

However, the leader said he understood the MP's frustration with "the way the Home Office is playing this so close to its chest".

Partridge, who lives in Crowborough, said he thought the plans were "not good", but added that there weren't "many choices on ways" to house asylum seekers.

"My personal view is I would much rather it didn't happen, but if it is to happen then it's got to be really well done and I have worries about that," he added.

The government is attempting to end the controversial use of asylum hotels

Daniel Manvell, Labour councillor and WDC's cabinet member for housing, benefits and revenues, said this was "a significant issue for the local community".

"I think Nus Ghani has shown a disappointing lack of leadership from a local MP and deputy speaker of the House of Commons."

He said the MP was "inflaming community tensions".

"A good local MP would support the community and local stakeholders, not pit them against each other for a decision made by the Home Office."

The plans

Moving asylum seekers to military sites is part of the government's attempt to end the controversial use of hotels – something it has pledged to do before the next election.

The Home Office has said it is "furious" at the level of asylum hotel use.

Other options include using industrial sites and disused accommodation.

As of June this year, about 32,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels, down from a peak of more than 56,000 in 2023, according to government figures.

Expected costs of Home Office accommodation contracts for 2019-2029 have tripled from £4.5bn to £15.3bn.