Reform council becomes first to quit refugee resettlement scheme as it vows to 'put British people first'

Lancashire County Council is poised to become the first local authority in Britain to quit the Government’s refugee resettlement programme.

The Reform UK-run authority has pledged to withdraw from the scheme, vowing to put "British people first".

Nigel Farage’s party secured a commanding majority on the council last May, securing 53 of 84 seats.

Reform UK has argued that the Resettlement Scheme - introduced by the Conservatives in 2021 - has forced councils to prioritise newly arrived migrants ahead of long-standing local residents when it comes to support and services.

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Under the current system, refugees arriving through the scheme can receive council-backed assistance including immediate cash payments, welcome packs and help with household bills.

Councils also provide support registering with GPs and arranging Jobcentre appointments to help new arrivals access benefits.

Reform UK says homeless veterans and struggling locals are too often left to fend for themselves without the same level of support.

The party's Home Affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said: "These schemes have only served to prioritise recent arrivals and foreign nationals ahead of the British public.

"Reform UK in Lancashire is putting an end to a shameful Conservative policy which shoved British people to the back of the queue for housing and council services."

Joshua Roberts, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for communities, said the move would put local Lancastrians "at the front of the queue".

Mr Roberts also called on Labour to stop placing refugees in the county and instead direct public money towards vulnerable residents and veterans who he said had been "deprioritised by successive Labour and Conservative governments for far too long".

The proposal will go before the council’s Cabinet this summer for formal approval.

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The withdrawal would cover both the UK Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Resettlement Programme - although support for Ukrainian refugees would remain in place.

The move is expected to pile pressure on other Reform UK-controlled councils to consider similar withdrawals.

It comes as Mr Farage’s party also unveiled plans to place migrant detention centres in Green-controlled council areas if it wins the next General Election.

Zack Polanski’s Greens are expected to rival Reform UK as one of the biggest winners in Thursday’s local elections, with some polls suggesting both parties could secure more than 1,000 council seats.

The Greens has previously condemned Reform UK’s proposed mass deportation policy - dubbed Operation Restoring Justice -describing it as "ill-thought-out," "cruel," and "abhorrent".

Meanwhile, Mr Yusuf said Reform UK would not place detention centres in areas represented by Reform MPs or councils.

He told The Telegraph: "Even though illegal migrants will not be allowed to leave the sites, we are committing to not placing these detention sites in areas with a Reform MP or where Reform controls the council.

"Given the Green Party advocates for open borders and for an infinite number of undocumented men to come here, we will prioritise Green constituencies and Green-controlled councils to locate these detention centres."

He added: "This is the fairest approach to ensuring democratic consent for all aspects of our mass deportation programme."

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