Manston ‘wasn’t overcrowded before Braverman took over’ – follow live

Jump to contentSign up to our newslettersSubscribeNewsSportsVoicesCultureLifestyleTravelPremiumCloseRishi Sunak could go to Cop27 climate summit, minister Mark Spencer saysAllies of former home secretary Priti Patel have suggested she did not allow overcrowding at a troubled Kent asylum facility, after a Tory MP accused ministers of driving down conditions for migrants in order to make Britain seem less appealing.The Manston short-stay centre is running at more than double its capacity with outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MRSA, leading to calls for Ms Patel and her successor Suella Braverman to answer for the conditions.Sources told PA Ms Patel always followed advice to book hotels for migrants to move to because ‘it was the right thing to do’.Another source close to the former home secretary said it had been ‘business as usual’ right up until the point she resigned when Liz Truss became prime minister.Local Tory MP Sir Roger Gale earlier said the Home Office may have deliberately chosen to overcrowd the centre to deter migrants from crossing the channel.The claims from Ms Patel’s allies suggest Ms Braverman would bear full responsibility if such a decision was taken.1667217035Joe Sommerlad takes a look at the troubled migrant facility:The site, opened in January on a defunct airfield formerly used as a Defence Fire Training and Development Centre, was supposed to be a short-term holding facility where migrants could be hosted for 24 hours and processed by Border Force staff before being moved on to temporary accommodation.However, Manston has been overwhelmed in recent months due to the high number of Channel crossings seen this year, meaning dire living conditions have been allowed to prevail and outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MRSA reported.Kent facility opened in January intended for short-term detention and processing of applicants but is already struggling with overcrowding after high number of Channel crossings Liam James31 October 2022 11:501667216135Sources close to Priti Patel claim Manston was never overcrowded during her time as home secretary, according to PA.A source close to Ms Patel told the PA news agency: “There was never any overcrowding when she was there. What would happen was if it got to the point where people were getting worried about conditions we would sign off on more hotels.”Despite the political difficulties, the cost to the taxpayer and the potential for a media backlash, Ms Patel agreed to hotels because “it was the right thing to do”.Another source close to the former home secretary said it had been ‘business as usual’ right up until the point she resigned when Liz Truss became prime minister.The Kent asylum processing facility is now holding around 4,000 migrants – despite being built for only 1,600 – in dire living conditions, with outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MRSA.Manston should only hold people for 24 hours before they are sent on to hotels but Ms Patel and Suella Braverman, incumbent home secretary, have been accused of forcing migrants to stay in the centre by ignoring official advice to book rooms for them to go to. Local Tory MP Sir Roger Gale said the government may have deliberately chosen to overcrowd the centre to make Britain appear unappealing to .Claims from Ms Patel’s allies suggest Ms Braverman would bear full responsibility if such a decision was taken.Liam James31 October 2022 11:351667214875In a message of condolence to the president of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, the King said the UK ‘stands in solidarity’ with the people of South Korea following the crush in Seoul that killed more than 150 people.The King’s message, signed Charles R, read: ‘I wanted you to know how deeply shocked and saddened both my wife and I are to hear of the many people who have lost their loved ones as a consequence of the recent, tragic incident in Itaewon, Seoul.’However inadequate this may be under such heartbreaking circumstances, we extend our deepest possible sympathy to all the bereaved families. We also offer our special thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who suffered injury.’Recalling our meeting during your own gracious visit to London to attend the funeral of Her late Majesty The Queen, please be assured that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of the Republic of Korea at such a time of national mourning.’The Independent is following updates on the tragedy in Seoul here.Liam James31 October 2022 11:141667213735Tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas have increased to almost £8bn in the first nine months of 2022, according to research.Figures from the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce show the government’s tax take from producers working in the area has increased nearly seven-fold from the same period last year, though companies profits have risen far higher. A windfall tax for the energy sector was introduced in May, which brought in a 25 per cent surcharge on extraordinary profits from energy companies.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is understood to be considering raising this further in order to improve the UK’s fiscal position.The chamber of commerce analysed tax receipt data from between January and September this year, finding that offshore companies paid £7.9bn in tax, a 692 per cent increase on the same period last year.Meanwhile, pre-tax profits at Harbour Energy, the largest independent London-listed oil company, surged more than ten-fold during the first six months of the year to £1.27bn from just £120m during the same period the previous year. Liam James31 October 2022 10:551667212595A minister has been criticised for using racially insensitive language in a discussion of reports that Liz Truss’s phone was hacked by foreign spies.During the news rounds this morning, farming minister Mark Spencer said Ms Trusswas ‘clearly hacked’, going on to say it was possible his own conversations with his wife were being listened to by ‘some little man in China’.His remark sparked backlash from opposition MPs with Labour whip Chris Elmore hit out at ‘the state of this’, while his parliamentary colleague, Chris Bryant, appeared incredulous, tweeting: ‘Little man’? Honestly?’Mr Spencer was placed under investigation earlier this year after a fellow Tory MP claimed he told her the fact she was a Muslim was making colleagues uncomfortable.Reports that Ms Truss’s personal phone was accessed by Kremlin agents caused a stir over the weekend, with Michael Gove failing to deny that the security breach had taken place.Liam James31 October 2022 10:361667211455Recording petty disputes as crime is warping crime statistics and unnecessarily scaring the public, one of the nation’s most senior police chiefs has said.Sir David Thompson, chief constable of the West Midlands, said petty disputes and incivility are being taken down as criminal acts following a Home Office edict that all complaints from the public must be included in official figures.In an interview with The Times, Sir David described the process as ‘completely mad’, adding it was only serving to distort the public’s view.He said the large number of recorded instances of such disputes was making the public think violence was rising when really it was going down.Sir David said: ‘Over the last couple of years, for the first time in history, the police recorded more crime and violence than the public say is happening in the official crime survey. They’re inverted and it’s not right.’We like to tell people to be polite and civil, but our job is about crime. Where somebody might wave a stick at you or come around and be rude about your children, that’s incivility.’It shouldn’t be crime, but it’s getting really close to how we’re recording it.’Liam James31 October 2022 10:171667210315An ‘entirely fresh approach’ is needed to tackle the ‘out of control’ migrant Channel crossings in small boats, the MP for Dover has said.Appearing on TalkTV this morning, Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke was aked if she had any faith in Suella Braverman to make progress on the matter.Ms Elphicke said she had spoken to the home secretary and did not believe ‘anyone doubts her passion and determination to tackle this issue’. But, she said, a practical long-term solution had yet to be found, though stopping boats leaving France could work in the meantime.Calling for an ‘entirely fresh approach’, Ms Elphicke said: ‘What’s been happening is simply not working, because every single attempt to get on top of this is delayed or thwarted by a rag bag of people who seem to want open borders and don’t seem to want us to get a grip on this particular situation.Liam James31 October 2022 09:581667209235Local policies and services are hindered by the ‘overly centralised’ and ‘opaque’ system of government in England, MPs have warned.Westminster holds too much power and is unwilling to cede decisions to regional and local authorities, the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (Pacac) said in a report calling for an urgent overhaul of governance arrangements.’One of the main levers of power used by central government over local counterparts is control of the purse strings,’ the MPs said.As a result, ‘suboptimal decisions’ are being made at a local level and people do not understand where they come from or who is accountable, the MPs said.The system has led to ‘significant geographical inequality’ and people feeling like they have no say in political or societal change, representing a ‘warning sign for the health of democracy’.The committee recommended that a cross-party commission is established to come up with a solution.Liam James31 October 2022 09:401667208155Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said the Home Office and contractors ‘need to get a grip’ on the migrant facility in Manston.He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘We were absolutely clear in our report that’s coming out tomorrow that the Home Office and contractors need to get a grip, they need to speed up the processing of migrants, they need to make suitable provisions so people can be moved off site as quickly as possible and housed in humane and decent conditions.’Mr Taylor added: ‘The facilities are not set up for people to be staying. It’s not a residential facility. It’s a short-term holding facility which is supposed to process people through.’Earlier, local Tory MP Sir Roger Gale said the Home Office may have ‘deliberately’ allowed conditions at Manston to worsen.Liam James31 October 2022 09:221667207015Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale said the situation at the migrant facility in Manston is ‘wholly unacceptable’, and suggested it may have been allowed to happen ‘deliberately’.The member for North Thanet accused his own government of ‘dog whistle politics’, suggesting the Home Office saw an opportunity to make the UK look like an unattractive destination for refugees.Around 4,000 asylum seekers are now crammed into the site at Manston – which is designed for 1,600 people – in dire living conditions, with outbreaks of diseases including diphtheria and MSRA.He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘There are simply far too many people and this situation should never have been allowed to develop, and I’m not sure that it hasn’t almost been developed deliberately.’Sir Roger said overcrowding was caused by a decision not to book hotel spaces to ease pressure on Manston, adding he was not sure whether it was Priti Patel or Suella Braverman’s order.The Tory MP called for a ‘grown-up solution’ to strike a deal with France to curb Channel crossings and then ‘on a pan-European basis’.’That is the grown-up way to solve this problem. We’re not going to do it by knee-jerk dog whistle politics,’ Sir Roger said.Liam James31 October 2022 09:03Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inRegistration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inRishi SunakSuella BravermanPriti PatelPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in