Lee Anderson has launched a scathing attack on Liberal Democrats and Green Party, accusing them of “blatant hypocrisy” over their insistence that “refugees are welcome” – even though areas where the parties enjoy strong support do not actually accommodate many of them. In a fiery X post, the Reform UK MP for Ashfield highlighted data suggesting that areas voting for what he called “bleeding heart, tolerant” parties were accommodating fewer asylum seekers, despite their vocal support for easier legal routes and refugee-friendly policies during last year’s General Election.
The outspoken Ashfield MP, known for his unapologetic stance on immigration, dug into Home Office figures and claimed that Liberal Democrat and Green strongholds are shirking their moral obligations. He declared: “Blatant hypocrisy from the ‘Refugees Welcome’ Brigade.
“If these two bleeding heart, tolerant parties are so in favour of asylum seekers, why don’t they offer to take more of them? They campaigned for it, they should live with it.”
He pointed to what he saw as a stark disconnect between the parties’ public pledges and the reality on the ground. According to his research, Lib Dem-run councils housed 122 refugees on average, while Green Party authorities housed 171 on average. By contrast, Labour authorities take 511 refugees and Tory-controlled ones 216.
Mr Anderson’s post, which has already sparked a heated online debate, adds fuel to his argument that the “refugees welcome” brigade is all talk and no action.
An article in The Sun cited by Mr Anderson highlighted how affluent, predominantly white enclaves—often Lib Dem or Green heartlands—appear to host fewer asylum seekers, raising questions about NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard) among the parties’ supporters.
The MP’s remarks comes amid rising tensions over immigration policy, with the Home Office reporting 32,059 asylum seekers housed in hotels by June 2025—a figure up 8% from the previous year, according to The Guardian.
Despite a £620m reduction in asylum-related spending (down to £4.76bn in 2024-25), the government faces pressure to move away from costly hotel use towards community-based accommodation.
However, critics like Mr Anderson insist that the decision-making lies with the Home Office, not local councils or political parties, a point contested by some X respondents who accused him of misrepresenting the system.
The controversy has reignited debates about the Green Party’s asylum policy, which promises to avoid clustering asylum seekers in specific areas and rejects unfit housing like decommissioned prisons or military camps.
Since his 2019 election as a Conservative MP—and subsequent defection to Reform UK—Mr Anderson has been a vocal critic on the subject of illegal immigraiton, often clashing with the establishment.
His latest broadside taps into a broader public frustration, with illegal immigration topping constituents’ concerns, as he noted in a 2023 YouTube interview.
Nevertheless, with the Home Office’s legal obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Public Sector Equality Duty shaping placements, Anderson’s call for Lib Dem and Green areas to “step up” may face practical limits.
A Green Party spokesman said: “Overwhelmingly, the number of refugees and asylum seekers housed by any local government sits in the hands of the Home Office and central government through the ‘full dispersal model’.
“Green councils do, and always will, offer safe and welcoming accommodation to the best of our capacity and ability.
“No one should be trying to turn housing vulnerable people into a political football at a time when we need to be working to bring our communities together.”
Express.co.uk has also contacted the Lib Dems for comment.
