Weston-super-Mare, a Victorian seaside resort known for its pier and sandy beach, has become deeply divided over a proposal to become a council of sanctuary, a scheme aimed at improving support for refugees and asylum seekers. The plan was abandoned six months after the council voted in favour, following a social media campaign by Reform UK that supporters say was riddled with misinformation.
Reform UK, which has no elected councillors in the North Somerset town, claimed online that the sanctuary award would lead to a surge in “illegal immigrants” and divert taxpayers’ money from public services. The charity City of Sanctuary UK (CoS) strongly refuted these claims, noting the award costs £150 a year for three years and has no influence on asylum seeker numbers, which are set by the Home Office.
Liberal Democrat councillor Caroline Reynolds, who proposed the motion in March, said the “misinformation” began immediately. “Reform said we would be inundated with illegal immigrants,” she said. The party helped mobilise a protest of about 200 people outside the town hall, where counter-protesters reported chants of “send them back home” and comments about grooming gangs.
Reynolds said she and colleagues received abusive emails, including one that read: “Wouldn’t it be a shame if in the future some time one of these illegals you think so much of carries out a crime against you or your family.” Other councillors faced pressure from residents and began speaking against the proposal, leading to its abandonment in late September.
Holly Law, a resident of 15 years who spoke in support of the plan, said: “I wanted the council to take a stand and commit to ensuring that we’re as welcoming as possible. I’m embarrassed that there are hundreds of councils that have uncontroversially committed to being a city or council of sanctuary.” She added that “intelligent councillors” were bending to misinformation.
Tensions escalated over the summer, with Avon and Somerset police investigating a suspected hate crime at a cafe vandalised with racist stickers in late August. Reform UK is polling well in the town; a recent YouGov MRP poll forecast the party would take the local Labour MP’s seat if an election were held then.
