Reform Chairman Lee Anderson launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a TalkTV interview, branding him an "absolute moron" over his migrant dispersal plans.
Speaking to Kevin O'Sullivan, Anderson criticised the policy of housing migrants in middle-class villages, calling it a "class war issue" and saying "it's ridiculous, isn't it?"
Barnham camp fury
Anderson claimed villagers near Thetford were "absolutely furious" that up to 1,250 undocumented young males could be placed in a camp one mile from the town. He predicted migrants would be "bused on a daily basis" to "mosey around, cause problems," and mentioned HMOs in Deptford next to a primary school.
He suggested migrants may have criminal backgrounds before directly addressing Burnham: "I tell you what you're doing, Burnham, if you're listen to this, because you're an absolute moron. You are spreading the problem all over the country. And it's going to get worse. People are going to get attacked. People are going to get beaten up and sexually molested by these people that you, you Burnham, are importing into this country."
Burnham defends dispersal
Burnham has said wealthy areas should accept more migrants so arrivals are not placed only in the "poorest communities." He told GB News: "I do have to say, we cannot have a situation where it's only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers. I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part. We understand people's concerns, and I will look into the issues raised by the good people of Piddington."
The comments come amid controversy over a 1,200-strong migrant camp near the Oxfordshire village of Piddington, where residents argued it would overwhelm the current population of 400.
