Today in Parliament, Epping Forest MP Dr Neil Hudson demanded the Government remember they are ‘players not political commentators’ in the fiasco regarding the mistaken prisoner release of former Bell Hotel resident Hadush Kebatu, and that they should use their powers to close the Bell Hotel immediately, during a Ministerial Statement from the Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy MP.
The intervention follows today’s High Court ruling that the Bell Hotel can remain in use for asylum accommodation, which the Government had been making the case for in the case lodged by Epping Forest District Council.
The Bell Hotel was reopened by the Labour Government earlier this year without local consultation and against local advice, after it had previously been shut for use as asylum accommodation in April 2024 by the previous Conservative Government.
Since then, the Hotel has alarmingly been connected with allegations of assault and sexual assault, including the conviction of Hadush Kebatu for sexual assault on a woman and a girl who was 14 years old.
To add insult to injury, anxiety was only heightened last month after Mr Kebatu was mistakenly released from prison in October, and was apprehended by police two days later. Appallingly, his victims were not informed directly by the Government of the mistaken release and found out from other sources.
On Monday 27th October, the very first day Parliament sat following the mistaken release, Dr Hudson urged Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy MP to take accountability for the dangerous breach and ‘get a grip’ on the illegal immigration crisis that has taken place on their watch. You can see that here: https://www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/commons-epping-forest-mp-holds-government-ministers-account-wrongful-prison-release-and
Peaceful expressions of protest have also been seen outside the hotel since July, but unfortunately on a minority of occasions this has escalated into violent confrontations that has resulted in injury to police officers and damage to police vehicles.
Dr Hudson has long been clear that using the Bell Hotel as asylum accommodation is not appropriate for the safety of Epping’s communities and has told Government Ministers directly in the Chamber that Epping’s communities must be heard by closing the hotel immediately. He did so in that intervention on the 27th October, and back in July and September, which you can see here:
https://www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/today-chamber-epping-forest-mp-repeats-calls-closure-bell-hotel
Beyond the Chamber, Dr Hudson has also written with neighbouring MP Sir Alex Burghart, Epping Forest District Council and Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst to call for alternative arrangements to be made and to close the Bell and Phoenix Hotels and for an urgent meeting with then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, as well as him writing to the former and current Border Security and Asylum Ministers Dame Angela Eagle MP and Alex Norris MP, to request urgent meetings with them regarding the matter.
Following today’s High Court ruling, he has once written to Alex Norris MP to demand an urgent meeting about the Bell Hotel.
Dr Hudson will continue to call for the closure of the Bell Hotel and ensure Epping’s communities are heard.
During the Ministerial Statement, Dr Hudson said:
“Mr Speaker, recent events and today’s court ruling bring to the surface again the anxiety for our Epping community.
My thoughts remain with the victims, including the 14 year old Epping school girl. Appallingly, they and their families heard about this wrongful prisoner release from media instead of the Government.
It is frankly astonishing the Government are only using their levers of power in the courts to overturn this case brought by the council but are not using their powers to address the issues in the frontline - the illegal immigration crisis, the mistaken release of convicted prisoners, and the serious management and safeguarding issues associated with the Bell Hotel, which needs to close urgently.
When will Government get a grip, realise that they are not political commentators but players on the pitch, and use their powers to tackle these issues once and for all?”
Following his intervention in the Commons, Dr Hudson commented:
“This Government need to realise immediately they are players on the pitch, not mere political commentators.
Today’s High Court ruling was a classic example of this Government using their levers of power when it suits them, and not doing what is needed in the frontline by dealing with the illegal immigration crisis, the mistaken release of convicted prisoners, and closing the Bell Hotel."
I am adamant that this Government must get a grip immediately and do the right and safe thing by closing the Bell Hotel as a matter of urgency.”
