A Labour MP has been branded a “hypocrite” after opposing a Government plan to house migrants near her constituency. Rachael Maskell fumed at the proposal to house 1,200 at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, mentioning shortages of water, sewage capacity and the supply of electricity. “It’s just the wrong site,” she said, adding that the base is located next to a primary school and nursery. There are only four buses a day into York, Ms Maskell also said.

“The last government realised that, once they got into the detail,” she added. “All we’re saying to this Government is that it’s really important that they recognise that too, because the site is in a worse state now than it was when the government last looked at this.” But at a rally in 2015 amid concern about Syrian refugees as a result of the country’s civil war, Ms Maskell said when speaking about the number of migrants the UK should accept: “20,000 is not enough.

“30,000 is not enough. We will keep going until we hit our saturation point, because what does it matter if we have to wait another week for a hospital visit?”

Conservative London Assembly Member and former mayoral candidate, Susan Hall, wrote on X: “Oh bless. How typical of Labour. So happy to tell us what to do as long as they don’t have to comply. Hypocrites, the lot of them!!”

Reform UK member Ben Graham posted: “Rachael Maskell wanted more migration, until the migrants were coming to a town near her.

“Now she says housing them in her constituency is ‘unsuitable’ and would strain local resources.

“Funny how the enthusiasm for open borders disappears when the consequences land on your doorstep.”

A Home Office spokesman told The Times: “We are closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation including ex-military sites.

“The population of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen by 35 per cent in the last year and by 63 per cent from the peak in 2023. Overall asylum costs have already fallen by £1 billion since the general election.

“We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, working closely with local authorities, and listening to local concerns to reduce the impact on communities.”

The Express has contacted Ms Maskell for comment.

Fury Grows at Pro-Immigration Labour MP Now Opposed to Migrants Moving to Her Town

A political row has erupted after Labour MP Rachael Maskell faced criticism over her opposition to a government proposal to accommodate asylum seekers at a former military site near her constituency. Critics have accused the MP of inconsistency, pointing to her previous support for accepting more refugees. Maskell, however, has focused her objections on the suitability of the proposed location and the pressure that a large accommodation scheme could place on local infrastructure.

The dispute highlights a growing challenge for the Labour government as it attempts to reduce its reliance on hotels for asylum seekers. While ministers want to move people into more basic accommodation, communities affected by the plans have raised questions about public services, transport, utilities and whether residents have been properly consulted.

The controversy has also become part of the wider political argument over immigration, with opponents of Labour using the dispute to question the government’s approach and the consistency of politicians who have previously supported refugee protection.

According to reporting published in August 2026, the proposal at the centre of the row involved accommodating around 1,200 asylum seekers at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire. Maskell argued that the site was unsuitable because of concerns about water, sewage and electricity capacity, its proximity to a primary school and nursery, and limited public transport connections. <Cite refs={[“turn131325search9”]} />