Responding to the Appeal Court ruling on the Bell Hotel in Epping, Green MP Ellie Chowns said: 

“This court case is a distraction from the need to sort out the terrible legacy of 14 years of Conservative government misrule and Labour’s failure to come up with workable, humane solutions. 

“It is inhumane, as well as costly to UK tax payers, for people seeking asylum to have to wait years for a decision and be housed in temporary accommodation like hostels and hotels. 

“People have the right to claim asylum, and we all have the right to expect the government to run a fast and fair process to assess applications. 

 “The UK government quite rightly created safe and managed routes for people fleeing Ukraine. They need to offer the same to others seeking safety from similarly dangerous situations.   

“It can be done, if the political will and leadership is there. 

“People seeking asylum and protection must be allowed to work while their application is being decided. That’s the way to get them out of hotels and able to look after themselves and contributing to local communities.” 

Responding to plans announced by Nigel Farage to rip up swathes of international law and deport thousands of migrants if Reform UK ever gained power, Green Party MP Ellie Chowns said: 

“More inflammatory rhetoric from Farage at a sensitive time in many communities. This dangerous toxic bluster is clearly aimed at whipping up anger, hatred and even disorder. The way he talks about asylum seekers – our fellow global citizens – is reprehensible.

“The policy proposals themselves are unworkable. They rely on ripping up swathes of international law and would likely face many legal obstacles in the UK courts that could use British common law to block such cruelty. 

“Iran, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Sudan and Syria feature in the top ten countries for asylum seekers in the UK  – all places where people face oppression, conflict, extreme poverty or famine. Asylum claims from people arriving from these countries have high approval rates – almost 100% in the case of Sudan and Syria [1]. 

“Yet former Reform UK Chair Zia Yusuf has suggested that a Reform government would pay brutal regimes like the Taliban to accept the return of migrants – including unaccompanied children. They must know what could happen to these people when they are returned – they will likely be abused, tortured or executed. 

“This is not who we are as a nation. The vast majority of the British public are willing to show compassion towards those fleeing the terrible situations they leave behind.”

Commenting on the High Court ruling blocking asylum seekers from being housed in a hotel in Epping and the prospect of Councils across England now weighing up their own legal challenges, Green Party MP Ellie Chowns said:

“This is where the legacy of 14 years of Conservative government has led us. They allowed a massive backlog of asylum claims which has resulted in local hotels being used for accommodation. 

“The Green Party embraces the right to claim asylum, in any country, as set out in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And we need a fast and fair process to assess asylum applications.

“It is inhumane, as well as costly to UK tax payers, to have to wait years for a decision. 

“The UK Government quite rightly created safe and legal routes for people fleeing Ukraine. They need to offer the same to others seeking safety from similarly dangerous situations.  

“We also want to see those seeking asylum and protection to be allowed to work while their application is being decided. That’s the way to get them out of hotels and able to look after themselves and contributing to local communities.”

Commenting on the High Court ruling blocking asylum seekers from being housed in a hotel in Epping and the prospect of Councils across England now weighing up their own legal challenges, Green Party MP Ellie Chowns said:

“This is where the legacy of 14 years of Conservative government has led us. They allowed a massive backlog of asylum claims which has resulted in local hotels being used for accommodation. 

“The Green Party embraces the right to claim asylum, in any country, as set out in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And we need a fast and fair process to assess asylum applications.

“It is inhumane, as well as costly to UK tax payers, to have to wait years for a decision. 

“The UK Government quite rightly created safe and legal routes for people fleeing Ukraine. They need to offer the same to others seeking safety from similarly dangerous situations.  

“We also want to see those seeking asylum and protection to be allowed to work while their application is being decided. That’s the way to get them out of hotels and able to look after themselves and contributing to local communities.”

New analysis by the High Pay Centre has revealed that bosses of Britain’s largest listed companies are now paid 122 times the salary of the average full-time UK worker. The median pay of a FTSE chief executive climbed to £4.58m in the last financial year, up from £4.29m a year earlier, an increase of nearly 7%, according to the analysis.  

Reacting, Green MP Ellie Chowns said: 

“The High Pay Centre analysis is further proof that inequality in the UK continues to grow – the rich continue to get richer while millions struggle to meet basic household bills.  

“This is why the Green Party pushed for an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill calling for a maximum pay ratio within companies of 10:1 between the top and lowest-paid person.  

“Such a ratio would end obscene salaries for greedy CEOs while pulling up wages for the lowest paid in organisations – those essential to the success of a business. It would show workers the respect – and grant them the pay – they deserve.”