This morning, I raised the plight of Chaggosians arriving in Hillingdon and the impact this is having on our council.
Since July 2024, 170 individuals have presented themselves at the Civic Centre in Uxbridge seeking support as they move to the UK. These are British nationals who are moving to the UK through well-established routes as a result of the Labour Government’s plans to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
As a port authority, the council is normally well prepared to handle the volume of individuals being presented for support. However, the sudden increase in numbers being presented to the local authority is costing the council over a million pounds. I therefore asked the Leader of the House whether we could have a debate in the Chamber about the impact of new arrivals on local authorities.
I am deeply disappointed that Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House, declined my request. Rather than allow for a serious discussion, Ms Powell instead chose to make a party-political point. This only served to highlight how unwilling this government is to provide meaningful support to our local authorities who are dealing with ever increasing financial strain.
