Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing significant backlash following his recent assertion that there is “lots of housing available” to accommodate asylum seekers and Britons in temporary accommodation.

During a House of Commons liaison committee meeting this week, Sir Keir stated, “Oh, there is lots of housing and many local authorities that can be used. We’re identifying where it can be used.” However, when challenged by committee chair Dame Meg Hillier to provide specific examples, the Prime Minister was unable to do so, promising a written response instead.

Dame Meg, a senior Labour backbench MP, pushed back, noting that many local authorities are already struggling with a severe lack of spare housing for homeless families, and councils are finding themselves in direct competition with the Home Office for available properties to house asylum seekers.

Leading Conservative figures have been quick to condemn the Prime Minister’s remarks. Robert Jenrick branded the claim “madness,” highlighting that “There are 1.3 million people on social housing waiting lists in England alone.”

The new Shadow Housing Secretary, Sir James Cleverly, expressed his “fury,” stating he “genuinely couldn’t believe he said this.” Cleverly argued that the Prime Minister’s dismissal of concerns from young people struggling to get on the housing ladder, while simultaneously suggesting “plenty of houses around the UK for asylum seekers,” demonstrates a misplaced priority that he described as “toxic.”

Cleverly further criticized the government’s “spectacular failure” to deliver on housebuilding promises, intensifying the frustration, particularly among younger generations. He emphasized that the Prime Minister’s comments only amplified these existing concerns.

This escalating debate underscores the intense pressure on the government regarding housing policy and its approach to both domestic housing shortages and asylum seeker accommodation.