“I was very concerned to hear of the events around the Beresford Hotel at the weekend. While I do not dispute the right for people to protest, this should always be carried peacefully and within the law.”
“What is deeply regrettable, both for this weekend’s protest and the previous one, is that many of the people from both sides are not Newquay residents, and travelled into the area in order to protest.”
“I don’t believe these people are reflective of the vast majority of people who live and work in Newquay, who in my experience have been incredibly tolerant of the whole situation and understand that it’s not ideal, it’s not what anyone, including the asylum seekers want, but this is part of a wider issue. Protests in this manner just drive divisions deeper and are not reflective of the wider community of Newquay.”
“I continue to speak regularly with the Minister and senior staff at the Home Office and have made it absolutely clear that the asylum seekers at the hotel in Newquay need to be moved to a more appropriate location outside of Cornwall ahead of the tourist season starting. I also continue to regularly communicate with Cornwall and Newquay Town Council to ensure local concerns are heard and acted upon.”
“Thank you to the police for their sterling ongoing work to ensure these protests are carried out safely and in a manner that causes minimum disruption to the community.”