Blackpool Conservatives split over immigration hotel claims posted online

Businessman Chris Higgitt, who has been selected as a Conservative party candidate ahead of local elections in May, says in a video he has posted on YouTube the council has received Government money to fill The Metropole "with illegal immigrants".

He also claims the council is rehoming immigrants in council and social housing ahead of people already on the waiting list.

Coun Tony Williams, leader of the Conservative group on the council, branded the video inaccurate and said Mr Higgitt's views were not shared by current Conservative councillors.

Mr Higgitt has been selected to stand in May ahead of sitting Waterloo councillor Derek Robertson, who has left the Conservative party since being deselected.

Coun Williams said: "I was extremely shocked when I saw this video and its totally inaccurate dialogue.

"The person who posted this disgraceful and possibly libellous video does not represent Blackpool Conservative policies or views in any way.

"He should have been fully briefed by the South Blackpool Conservative Association on the policies we abide by regarding social media, and they should have checked the content and disciplined the individual before it was published.

"The fact that a perfectly good and hard working Conservative councillor for Waterloo ward was deselected and replaced by this candidate raises questions on the process of selection."

Coun Bradley Mitchell, chairman of the Blackpool South Conservative Association, defended the selection of Mr Higgitt and said his views were shared by many people in the town.

He said: "Chris Higgitt has been democratically elected by Conservative members within Waterloo Ward to be our candidate for May’s local election.

"Selecting candidates to represent the party is the job of the local association and party members rather than councillors in the town hall.

"After years of inactive councillors in the area who have failed to address the concerns of local residents, Chris has already started doing the job of a councillor by listening to local people and acting on their concerns – most recently by challenging the decision by NatWest to close their branch within the ward.

"His comments regarding illegal immigration into the UK and the dispersal process of accommodation around the country will be shared by tens of thousands of people in Blackpool who are frustrated by small boats continuing to cross the Channel.

"Chris supports the Government’s efforts to prevent the small boat crossings through upcoming legislation and the Rwanda relocation plan for those who have entered the country illegally."

The council confirmed people living in The Metropole are asylum seekers, not illegal immigrants who are people who do not report their presence to the authorities and remain in the UK as undocumented migrants.

They have been placed in The Metropole by the Government, with the hotel among many run on the Government's behalf by SERCO, without any council involvement.

The council says asylum seekers are not entitled to social housing and are not being placed in housing by the council, but are being put into dispersal accommodation with private landlords which is sourced by SERCO on behalf of the Home Office, but there is currently no-one living in dispersal accommodation in Blackpool.