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Reform will use 'every possible legal lever' to close migrant hotels, Tice claims
May 11, 2025
Richard Tice has detailed how Reform UK is taking legal action to prevent asylum seekers from being housed in hotels, following their mass victory in the recent local elections.Speaking on GB News' Camilla Tominey Show, Reform's Deputy Leader revealed the party has assembled a legal team working at no cost to challenge the practice.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
Joining me now in the studio is Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK
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Welcome. Very good morning. Let's talk about immigration. Are you going to support the Tories in their quest to disapply the Human Rights Act from immigration policy
0:12
Well, if the amendment is selected, then I would think so. But I mean, we would frankly, we need to leave the ECHR, which of course the Tories won't do
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And frankly, we should scrap the Human Rights Act and start again, which again the Tories wouldn't do
0:25
So it's a step in the right direction. But all these things, as you quite rightly challenged, Chris Philpon
0:30
why didn't they do this when they were in office? And that's why we're doing so well in polls
0:34
That's why no-one trusts them anymore. Can I just confirm, you'd definitely scrap the Human Rights Act if you were in power
0:39
Yeah, we've got to go rid of the Human Rights Act, start again, definitely leave the ECHR, which is a disaster
0:45
There's a report in The Telegraph, I believe it is, saying that reform is going to court to shut asylum hotels
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How will that actually work in practice? Because people might rightly ask, well, where are you going to put asylum seekers
0:57
So we've got a brilliant Casey and a team of lawyers acting on a pro bono, no cost basis
1:04
They've already started work and we will be using every possible legal lever to try to resist bringing asylum seekers
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whether it's into hotels or housing in the councils we control. So, for example, in Lincolnshire, where we've just won control of the council, I've got an asylum seeker hotel in Skegness
1:23
And, yeah, we will be looking at every possible lever. To move them where
1:27
Oh, very simple. The Greens and the Lib Dems are rather keen on them and their councils
1:31
So, in the nice possible way, you're welcome, folks. Oh, you're going to emulate the policy of, I think, it's a Texas governor, isn't it
1:38
Greg Abbott. Greg Abbott decided over in America. This is an American idea
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That if you're very welcoming to migrants in Democrat areas, you're welcome to them
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So, are you seriously saying this? How are you going to make this work legally
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Our voters have said we don't want illegal immigration, we don't want mass uncontrolled immigration
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and what they're saying to us, they've given us a mandate to do all we can in the councils that we control
2:05
to stop this illegal immigration. So which areas are you going to move these migrants to, sorry
2:08
At the end of the day, that's a matter for the government. I'm just making the point... Is it workable, this, Richard Tyson
2:13
I'm making the point that we will put... Put them on buses, send them to Bristol. We will put every... No, no, you're missing the point
2:18
The point is we resist the use of hotels and housing and we will use a variety of levers and legal mechanisms to try to make it unlawful for them in our areas And then it up to the government to send them somewhere else Are you being serious in this idea that you would like to Deadly serious Meetings are taking place this week
2:38
No, about moving them to migrant welcome areas. Look, I'm just slightly teasing the Lib Dems and the Greens
2:44
because they seem so keen on asylum seekers. And we can have a little bit of fun in politics amongst all the seriousness
2:49
Indeed we can. What about tents versus hotels? Andrea Jenkins, your now colleague in Greater Lincolnshire
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Lincolnshire. Well, thank heavens we're asking the question, because actually, if smart, organised
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tents are suitable for British Army in places like Afghanistan, why aren't they good enough
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for people who've come here illegally? We should have that debate and that discussion. But Camilla, the smart thing to do... Smart and civilised tents for refugees. It doesn't
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quite work, does it? I mean, the reason why tents are smart and civilised when the army
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is in them is because these are people who sort of make their beds with hospital corners
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What refugee camp made of tents has ever looked smart and civilised in your experience
3:28
Maybe a bit of discipline and a bit of structure and a bit of fitness. It's good for all of us
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So what are you saying? You're going to put asylum seekers through some kind of military camp
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My real point is that we've got to process people quickly and remove them
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If they've come here illegally, they should all be removed. And the other thing, of course, we've got to do is stop them crossing the channel
3:47
This year, I suspect we're going to be 45,000 to 50,000 people. By the time of the next election, we could be looking at 150,000
3:54
And the British people are raging furious about this. So your offshore processing is going to be your deterrence
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If you leave the ECHR... You're reinvigorating Rwanda. Well, you leave the ECHR and you pick up and take back
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which France is legally obliged to stop them leaving their shores and they're in breach of their international duties
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Are you happy with the US trade deal? Because farmers are saying it sells them out, and we know you're on the side of farmers, right
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We are on the side of farmers. But look, it's work in progress. But actually, let's get this in context, for example
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It's a partial trade deal. It's work in progress. It's not the full-fat option
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And with regard to farming, for example, it doesn't cover things like chicken
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It doesn't cover things like hormone-treated beef. No, but it does cover beef. I mean, 13,000 tonnes of beef coming from the US
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It's going to undercut the farmers of Aberdeen. Look at the opportunities
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Indeed, Aberdeen Angus beef is some of the best beef in the world
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and Americans want to buy that great beef. So we've got great export opportunities. Oh, so you're up to start with doing a good job, has he
4:50
Actually, look, credit where credit's due, because of the Brexit opportunity, he's been able to have a trade negotiation
4:56
so he's praising himself thanks to Brexit. Funny for a man who wanted a second referendum Although are you as worried as Liam Fox about the great Brexit sell when it comes to the EU summit Yes I very worried indeed about that And I think we secured an extra debate on that
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because it's really concerning. He wants to handcuff us to a failing economic model
5:15
What conversations have you had with Jacob Rees-Mogg about defecting to reform? No
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He's not ruling it out. What do you mean, none? You haven't spoken to him directly. You just asked me a question. I've simply answered it
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Do you mean you personally or reform in general? Me personally, and I suspect..
5:27
No, look, Jacob... Hang on, finish that sentence. Jacob's a lovely man, but he's a loyal Conservative
5:32
Has anyone in the Reform Party been discussing defection with Jacob Rees-Mogg? Not to my knowledge
5:36
No, that's not a denial. It is a denial. Not to your knowledge doesn't mean no
5:41
Yes or no? Has anyone spoken to Jacob Rees-Mogg about defection in Reform? I have not spoken, and not to my knowledge has anybody spoken
5:48
I can't speak. We've got hundreds of councillors. They might have bumped into Jacob and had a fun chat in the pub
5:52
All right, so you're saying you haven't, but you can't rule out somebody else having had such conversations. I think I can reasonably rule it out
5:57
And can we talk as well about this extraordinary story in the Sunday Telegraph
6:03
To be fair, the paper's been taken away, but I think you're familiar with it. This police officer, he was investigated for a tweet
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but then police officers took away what they regarded as Brexitee materials
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That included a copy of The Spectator and a book by Douglas Murray. Well, obviously The Spectator's understandable
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I mean, it's clearly a very difficult, dangerous magazine. I mean, the whole thing is outrageous, this attack on free speech
6:23
And the irony, this was a former police officer in the same county of Kent, for heaven's sake
6:29
Yes, I know. But the fact that he was arrested, I think they needed six former colleagues in Kent police for it
6:37
The whole thing is utterly... Will you put a stop to this? Of course. I mean, the Tories are committed to saying, get rid of non-crime hate incidents, policing of force
6:45
But once again, these all came in under the Tory regime. And that's why they'll never be forgiven, they'll never be forgotten
6:51
The other point that's been made is the comparative lack of policing. I've made it with regard to the Channel 4 documentary on grooming gangs
6:57
Have you seen it? I haven't. I've not actually seen that. There's a part in it where it reveals that there are TikTok groups operating
7:05
which are kind of protesting the innocence of convicted child rapists and then referring to their victims as, excuse my French again
7:13
I've said this once already, but silly cows and es, talking about the victims
7:20
It does beg the question, why aren't the police investigating these groups? Of course they should be. I mean, it's just outrageous
7:26
And I afraid the reason is because there is a cover going on in multiple areas many towns many local authorities and institutions because people are guilty of an outrageous scandalous cover
7:43
So reform are now in charge in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, North Northamptonshire. Will you hold rape gang inquiries in those councils
7:54
that you're now in control of? What can you commit to here? Well, we've got to look at whatever we can legally get done
8:01
in those areas. I haven't specifically got that answer today, but we are absolutely determined
8:07
to try and hold these people to account. And it's extraordinary that Labour is still sort
8:12
of sitting on the fence on this. Are they doing local inquiries? Are they not? Why won't
8:16
they do a national inquiry? I know, but Lowe has funded a inquiry, hasn't he? But of course, the issue is it hasn't got statutory powers. And that's why I think actually
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the Maggie Oliver initiative of actually running private prosecutions and look at a judicial
8:28
review may be faster and smarter to try and bring some people to justice and essentially to force
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through a different route action and accountability. We've just got to try all of these different
8:39
things to see what works. Quick question. You're not going to be campaigning for the abandonment
8:44
of first past the post now, are you? No, no. We've always believed in PR. Have you? You've always
8:49
believed in PR? We've always believed in PR. Even when you're ahead in the polls and you can win a majority without the Tories, I keep on being told. We've got the Welsh and Holyrood elections in
8:56
Scotland next year. Let me just get this confirmed. And those under PR..
9:00
You are going to be campaigning for proportional representation now. Look, we stick to our word
9:06
We like proportional representation. We think it's fair. There's pluses and minuses to every situation
9:11
I think you quite like first-past-the-post now, don't you, if you're up at 31, 32 in the polls
9:15
You're teasing me on a Sunday morning. It's outrageous. I know, it's great fun. Can we talk about something very serious to finish
9:21
You've been speaking a lot in the House of Commons about the need to prescribe the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
9:29
What are your concerns there? Well, I mean, we've got to prescribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
9:34
They're essentially a harbour of terrorism, whether it's the Houthis, Hezbollah, and it's in Hamas, of course
9:43
And there's no excuse. It's pathetic that the Foreign Office continues to prevent this
9:49
And, you know, we've also got suspects. I want to know the immigration status of some of these suspects
9:55
that have been arrested for alleged terrorism offences. What's their immigration status? How long have they been..
10:00
The British people need to know answers. And if you don't give information, people worry about a cover-up
10:06
All right. Richard Tice, we need to leave it there, but thank you very much for your time this morning
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