Andy Burnham’s devolution agenda would be undermined if Linton-on-Ouse asylum centre plans are waved through

A cloud has once again shrouded the village of Linton-on-Ouse as a result of ill-conceived plans to house hundreds of male asylum seekers at the former RAF base there.

The good people of the village have already demonstrated clearly why these plans are poorly thought through. The original proposals in 2022 were rightly abandoned. Reviving them again is a major mistake on the part of this Labour Government.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham talks about the fairness of the plans. However, there is little fairness in dumping asylum seekers on a small village in North Yorkshire. It’s not fair on the people living in Linton-on-Ouse and it is not fair on the asylum seekers themselves.

The fact that a cross-party group of Yorkshire MPs has written to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, urging her to reconsider the plans, shows how unpopular the proposals are. David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, has also raised concerns.

The PM has said that this is a matter for the Home Office but it would be an abdication of responsibility and a betrayal of the people in Linton-on-Ouse if the plans were waved through. It would also undermine his commitment to shift power out of Westminster and to put power into the hands of communities.

Ultimately, the only way that the Government can get on top of the issue is by reducing the numbers of asylum seekers coming across the Channel.

Burnham says the Government is making progress to get the number of arrivals and crossings down. But the risk is that in one fell swoop that work could be undone with the arrival of larger boats.

Until there is a Europe-wide response to the issue the migrant crisis will continue unabated. The recent experience of Spain shows why the whole continent needs a joint response to the crisis.