RACHEL Reeves has vowed to end the use of costly asylum seeker hotels – in a move that could save taxpayers £1bn a year.
Setting out her spending review today, the Chancellor also promised a £11billion boost for the UK’s defence.
PARachel Reeves has vowed to end the use of costly asylum seeker hotels[/caption]
Labour is under pressure over the record rate of Channel crossingsAFP
Ms Reeves pledged to cut the asylum backlog, hear more appeal cases and return people who have no right to be in the country.
Speaking in Parliament today, she said: “So I can confirm today… that led by the work of RHF the Home Secretary… we will be ending the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers, in this Parliament.
“Funding that I have provided today… including from the Transformation Fund… will cut the asylum backlog; hear more appeal cases; and return people who have no right to be here… saving the taxpayer £1bn per year.
“With a £11bn increase in defence spending… and a £600m uplift for our security and intelligence agencies.
“That investment will deliver not only security, but also renewal… in Aldermaston and Lincoln; Portsmouth and Filton; On the Clyde and in Rosyth.
“Investment in Scotland. Jobs in Scotland. Defence for the United Kingdom. …opposed by the Scottish National Party… delivered by Labour.
“That is my choice, Mr Speaker. That is Labour’s choice. And that is the choice of the British people.”
It came as she unleashed a £100million spending spree to tackle illegal migration – including deploying more border cops and drones.
The Chancellor set out her spending plans for the coming years with big increases for the NHS, defence and schools.
And she threw more than half a billion pounds at fixing Britain’s broken borders.
The cash boost comes on top of the £4million being spent every day on accommodation for those crossing the Channel in small boats.
The Chancellor and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last night put on a united front after days of fraught negotiations over today’s Spending Review – insisting border security is a priority.
The new funding is part of a £113billion spending spurge by the Chancellor as she seeks to get back on the front foot after a painful 48 hours.
She is reeling from a humiliating u-turn on winter fuel payments and dire jobs figures showing rising unemployment.
Yesterday she was forced to admit that Brits were not feeling any better 11 months on from the election.
But Ms Reeves last night refused calls to apologise for her handling of the finances.
Weeks of haggling have seen Ms Reeves lock horns with Cabinet colleagues over how much of the pie they will get.
The Sun understands that Home Secretary Ms Cooper – who was the last to fold in tense negotiations – has secured an immediate £100million to combat illegal migration this year.
She will also get £580million across the next three years for Border Security Command to invest in new specialist cops and surveillance to thwart Channel crossings.
Burying the hatchet in a joint piece for The Sun, Ms Reeves and Ms Cooper write: “Our Spending Review is about investing in Britain’s renewal.
“It’s about protecting our security and strengthening our borders.”
Labour is under pressure over the record rate of Channel crossings that is around 15,000 already for the year.
We also revealed this week that the £4.7billion annual cost of migrant hotels is being funded by the equivalent of 582,000 taxpayers.
WE’LL HIT HARD
By RACHEL REEVES and YVETTE COOPER
WE inherited a broken immigration system.
Under the Conservatives, smuggling gangs were left to take hold along the French coast, undermining Britain’s border security and putting lives at risk.
The Labour Government has already increased enforcement activity to smash these vile criminal networks.
Eighty different investigations into organised smuggler gang networks are currently underway.
Since we came to power, 600 boat engines have been seized, almost 20,000 social media accounts promoting small boat crossings have been removed, illegal working raids are up over 40 per cent and 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK have been removed, and we are bringing in new counter terror powers to go after the gangs.
But we need to go much further and faster to get one step ahead of the tactics used by small boat gangs.
That is why we will boost investment to secure our borders, with up to £280million per year in the Border Security Command by 2028/29.
With this funding we will invest in new specialist investigators, new technology and cutting-edge surveillance equipment to disrupt and destroy this criminality.
Our Spending Review is about investing in Britain’s renewal.
It’s about protecting our security and strengthening our borders.
That is what we promised and that is what we are doing.
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