Epping hell
THERE may have been sighs of relief in the Government at winning the Epping Bell Hotel appeal yesterday.
But this hollow victory has come at an enormous cost to Labour.
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In its desperation to win, the Home Office made a grave error in arguing the rights of illegal migrants were more important than those of local people.
That will not be quickly or easily forgotten.
In the impartial view of the three judges — led by Lord Justice Bean, a leading member of the Society of Labour Lawyers and a former colleague of Attorney General Lord Hermer at left-wing human rights law firm Matrix Chambers — migrants at The Bell Hotel faced “injustice” if moved out.
Their ruling, made in part because of concerns about “lawlessness”, may in fact end up only stoking more disorder.
Protesters furious at having their initial victory snatched away have vowed to carry on until a final ruling on use of The Bell in October.
Meanwhile, the Government remains mired in a migration omnishambles.
While it uses public money to keep asylum hotels open against the people’s wishes, there is still no real plan to stop the migrants from coming in the first place.
It never Rayns
ANGELA Rayner spent years attacking Tories and “capitalists” for dodging taxes which ordinary folk have to pay.
So the Deputy Prime Minister needs to be open about her motives behind saving £40,000 on Stamp Duty on her new £700,000 Hove flat.
And how she also wangled a lower total council tax bill by making sure taxpayers pay it on her Government residence in Admiralty House.
That’s not illegal.
But it is shocking hypocrisy from a Housing Secretary leading the charge to crack down on second home ownership and reviewing the council tax system.
Voters admire a working-class woman making a successful life for herself.
But what they really hate is rank double standards.
Petrol peeves
RACHEL Reeves has a new team of advisers helping her to draw up tax rises for the Budget.
Worryingly, a key new member of Downing Street’s inner circle is also said to have a personal “hatred” of the freeze in fuel duty.
But the reason The Sun has fought for it for so long is not only that it saves drivers precious pounds.
It also benefits even non-drivers by helping businesses keep transport costs — and therefore prices of goods and services — lower.
The Chancellor should leave it well alone.
