Prime Minister Andy Burnham argued that wealthier communities should “play their part”.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
More than 40 Labour-held seats face pressure to host extra asylum seekers under Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s preference for fairer distribution, an investigation has showed. The analysis identifies 42 Labour seats that rank above Bicester and Woodstock — the constituency covering the village of Piddington — on both median house prices of £390,000 and median weekly wages of £862.
Mr Burnham has faced local anger over plans to house 1,250 migrants at the MoD Bicester site near Piddington. In comments made last month, Mr Burnham argued that wealthier communities should “play their part,” saying: “We cannot have a situation where it’s only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers… I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part.”
The investigation, conducted by GB News, ranked the seats and found that 25 fall under local authorities currently sitting below their regional averages for supported asylum accommodation. These include Altrincham and Sale West, Battersea, Beckenham and Penge, Bexleyheath and Crayford, Chelsea and Fulham, Cities of London and Westminster, Clapham and Brixton Hill, Earley and Woodley, Eltham and Chislehurst, Greenwich and Woolwich, Hammersmith and Chiswick, Hampstead and Highgate, Harrow West, Hertford and Stortford, Hitchin, Holborn and St Pancras, Islington South and Finsbury, Kensington and Bayswater, Lewisham North, Leyton and Wanstead, North East Hertfordshire, Putney, Tooting, Walthamstow and Watford.
The remaining 17 seats are covered by local authorities already above their regional averages. They include Bermondsey and Old Southwark, Bethnal Green and Stepney, Chipping Barnet, Dulwich and West Norwood, Ealing Central and Acton, Finchley and Golders Green, Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Hackney South and Shoreditch, Hornsey and Friern Barnet, Lewisham West and East Dulwich, Poplar and Limehouse, Reading West and Mid Berkshire, Stratford and Bow, Streatham and Croydon North, Uxbridge and South Ruislip, Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, and Welwyn Hatfield.
Across the 32 local authorities covering these 42 seats (plus 14 further constituencies), about 10,108 asylum seekers are in supported accommodation, according to recent Home Office data. The national total stood at 93,293 in June 2026.
GB News contacted all 42 Labour MPs; only Neil Coyle (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) replied. Mr Coyle stated his area had previously hosted one hostel and two hotels under the Conservatives and was “proud to do our part,” while noting Labour had closed the hotels as part of faster processing.
Some listed MPs, including Diane Abbott, Catherine West, Emily Thornberry, Andy Slaughter, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Apsana Begum, have publicly supported greater provision for refugees.
Local resident Ian Darby in Piddington argued the 42 areas should take a population-based quota for fairness, while describing the proposed numbers for his village as disproportionate.
Mr Burnham has said he will listen to Piddington concerns. A consultation runs until September 17, with the Home Office having submitted an urgent planning application. The government continues efforts to end hotel use by 2029 while addressing what it sees as an uneven national distribution of asylum accommodation.
RNLI shuts down UK lifeboat station after furious migrant protests erupt
Protestors branded RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accused the charity of operating a “collection service”.
Angry protests in Portsmouth this month (Image: Getty Images)
The RNLI has temporarily suspended operations at a Portsmouth lifeboat station after volunteers were subjected to physical and online abuse following protests over migrants brought ashore. Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in Eastney has been out of service since September 10, four days after two RNLI all-weather lifeboats brought 120 migrants to shore following their rescue in the English Channel.
The arrival sparked demonstrations near the station, with protesters branding RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accusing the charity of operating a “collection service”. Police remained at the station in the days afterwards as a precaution amid a surge in threats directed at the RNLI and its personnel. The backlash has also spread online, forcing Eastney RNLI to remove its Facebook page.
Several people have been charged with violent disorder following the late-night protest, while a number of police officers were treated for injuries sustained at the scene.
The RNLI has since taken additional steps to protect its volunteers, including advising some not to wear uniform or branded clothing in public.
The organisation has stressed that the temporary suspension has not left Portsmouth without search and rescue cover.
A charity spokesperson said: “Portsmouth Lifeboat Station has been temporarily off service since 10 September.
“We hope to have the lifeboat station back on service as soon as possible.
“Search and rescue cover continues to be provided through established contingency arrangements, including flank RNLI stations and other declared assets.”
The latest disruption comes after similar problems elsewhere, with Poole Old Lifeboat Museum also closing following incidents in which volunteers were verbally assaulted by anti-migrant protesters.
RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes condemned the abuse, saying it had followed misinformation about the charity’s work.
Mr Sparkes said: “Recent events have generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding about the RNLI – our purpose, our tasking, and particularly our lifesaving work in the Channel.
“Sadly, as a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse.”
He criticised those responsible as people who “hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard”, describing their “action” as “wholly unacceptable”.
The RNLI said lifeboat stations can sometimes be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or other operational requirements, with contingency arrangements in place to maintain rescue coverage.
The Portsmouth station remains temporarily out of service while those arrangements continue.
The protests followed the arrival of the 120 migrants at Eastney Point on September 6 after the two RNLI lifeboats picked them up while they were attempting to cross the Channel from France.
The RNLI lifeboat was denied access to Southampton and Portsmouth before the passengers were eventually landed at Eastney in Portsmouth.
News of the landing quickly spread, prompting demonstrators to gather near Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in opposition to the migrants being brought into the city.
The protest continued late into the night and descended into violence, with police officers injured during clashes. Multiple people have subsequently been charged with violent disorder.
The RNLI has faced criticism from anti-migrant protesters over its Channel rescue operations, despite the charity saying its role is to respond to people in distress at sea.
The hostility has extended beyond Portsmouth. Volunteers at Poole Old Lifeboat Museum were verbally assaulted during several incidents involving anti-migrant protesters, prompting the museum to close.
The RNLI has warned that misinformation about its work has contributed to abuse directed at staff and volunteers, and has advised them to exercise caution when deciding whether to wear its branded clothing.
The Express has contacted the RNLI for additional comment.