Blackpool South MP Chris Webb issues massive update on asylum seekers at The Metropole Hotel on the Promenade
“This has been a long time coming."
Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South, has issued a major update on the status of asylum seekers being housed at the town's iconic Metropole Hotel.
The Labour MP has confirmed that asylum seekers who had been staying at the seafront hotel have now been moved to alternative Home Office accommodation, marking what he described as a significant milestone following a long-running campaign.
Sharing the news on social media, Mr Webb said: "This has been a long time coming," adding that the Metropole Hotel "was never the right place" to accommodate vulnerable families.
A promise delivered
“The Metropole Hotel is no longer housing asylum seekers,” Mr Webb said. “When I was elected as your MP I promised I would end the use of the Metropole as an asylum hotel. That promise has been delivered.
“This has been a long time coming. This was an ill conceived measure brought in by the former government that made absolutely no sense for Blackpool. The Metropole was never the right place to house vulnerable families, it placed pressure on our town and its became a magnet for far-right protests that did nothing but divide our community. That ends today.”
The Metropole Hotel, located near Blackpool's North Pier on the Promenade, was first commissioned by the previous Conservative government in 2021 to provide accommodation for asylum seekers. The arrangement had remained in place ever since.
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Since being elected, Mr Webb has campaigned for the contract to be brought to an end, arguing that the hotel was not a suitable location for vulnerable families and raising concerns about the pressure the arrangement placed on local services.
“The Metropole is an iconic part of Blackpool's seafront and our heritage and it deserves a brighter future,” added Mr Webb. “I'm now calling on Britannia Hotels to restore it to its former glory and return it to its rightful place at the heart of Blackpool's tourism industry – bringing visitors back, creating jobs and helping drive the regeneration our town deserves.”
Providing an update on the relocation of those who had been staying at the hotel, the Blackpool South MP said the families and individuals had been transferred to alternative Home Office asylum accommodation managed by SERCO.
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While he did not disclose the exact locations, Mr Webb said the accommodation is spread across the North West, East Midlands and Eastern regions. He also sought to address speculation about where those relocated had been housed, stating that they had not been moved into homes or council houses in Blackpool or elsewhere on the Fylde Coast.
The update marks the end of the Metropole Hotel's role in accommodating asylum seekers, bringing to a close an arrangement that had been in place since 2021 and which had been the subject of ongoing local and political debate.
If you would like to sign the petition to reopen the Metropole Hotel as a tourist destination for Blackpool click here.