Council leader: Immigration's a pressing matter

Staffordshire County Council's new Reform UK leader Ian Cooper made the comment following an open letter to him. Kerry Ashdown reports

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STAFFORDSHIRE County Council's new leader has described dispersal of asylum seekers as a 'pressing issue' in response to being asked how he was going to tackle issues around immigration.

Reform UK's Ian Cooper was asked in a letter from Robert Duncan to clarify the authority's plans.

Councillor Cooper, who heads the Reform UK administration that took control in May, responded by calling immigration a 'national issue' which has an impact in Staffordshire.

In his open letter, Mr Duncan, of Staffordshire, said 'recent local election results suggest that illegal immigration played a significant role in rallying support, often resonating with many citizens' concerns for safety, economic stability, and community cohesion'

He added: “Given this context, I believe it is both timely and necessary to seek clarification on your council's strategic approach to this pressing issue. Specifically, I would like to understand what concrete measures the council intends to implement to tackle illegal immigration.

“How do you plan to collaborate with national immigration authorities and local law enforcement to ensure that all residents feel secure and that our community's integrity is duly maintained? Additionally, in what ways will these initiatives be communicated transparently to the public, so that residents can have confidence in the actions taken and provide constructive feedback?