'What on earth are you doing?!' Labour minister skewered over migrant crisis as Piddington residents hold referendum to 'leave UK'

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Residents in the Oxfordshire village of Piddington are voting in their symbolic referendum today

Jonathan Reynolds has apologised for the Government's plan to house asylum seekers in a former military base near Piddington in Oxfordshire, but said the scheme must go ahead.

Speaking to GB News, the Business Secretary argued that using former military bases to house migrants arriving in Britain is "a far more suitable" solution.

Following major backlash to the plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers in Piddington, residents of the Oxfordshire village are today holding an unprecedented vote on leaving the UK.

Although the vote has no legal standing, the 350 villagers have vowed to protest the decision by the Government in any way possible.

Pressing Mr Reynolds on the plans, host Ellie Costello questioned whether the Government will "address the concerns" of Piddington locals.

She said: "Anybody can see that this is going to completely change the feel of that very small village. The infrastructure is not in place, the women there are hugely concerned about security, that these men will be able to roam freely throughout the small village throughout the day.

"They're already holding self defence classes, they put up a network of CCTV cameras, they've got emergency alert systems in place, they've also hired security patrol teams.

"They are frightened about this and they want to be listened to by this Government. Are you going to to speak to the people of Piddington?"

Mr Reynolds responded: "Look, I understand how people will feel, the concerns that they will have, but the fact is asylum hotels, which we inherited, were completely, I believe, an unsuitable way to sort this problem out.

"I think a military base, military land where you can monitor who's coming, who's leaving, people in a place together is a far more suitable location. I understand that's not going to be to the satisfaction of people who are in the vicinity of that.

"This is difficult, but when we promise to close asylum hotels in the centre of towns in the centre of cities, that is exactly what we're going to do."

The Business Secretary stressed that the Government must "address the backlog" of asylum claims for those who have entered the country already.

He explained: "The key part of this is those figures about the number of people who've been deported. I mean, that's a key part of this, but there is, unfortunately, a need to house people until that backlog is processed, until people are, if they shouldn't be in the UK, deported.

"And I do think somewhere like a military base, former military land is far better than the hotels in the centre of towns. I'm sorry it's difficult, but we have to do something. And we did promise to close asylum hotels, that is what we're going to do."

Challenging Mr Reynolds on the Government's strategy in tackling illegal small boat crossings, host Alex Armstrong asked him "what on earth they are doing" to tackle the migrant crisis in the Channel.

Mr Reynolds told GB News: "What the British peple want to hear is the Government sorting it out, and this Government is sorting it out. If you look at the backlog that we inherited, it's down by over half, 60 per cent down.

"If you look at deportations, that's at record levels, if you look at closing asylum hotels, that is what we're doing. We inherited a right old mess, I wouldn't deny that for a second. And frankly, there are reasons why we have this small boat crisis in a way we didn't have a few years ago."

The Labour minister added: "But we've got to tackle the problem, not exploit people's concerns as other political parties do, you've got to solve this problem, and that is what we're doing.

"I would not be happy, by the way, with anyone, whatever organisation they're from, aiding illegal migration into Britain. That's completely unacceptable.

"I think that's an entirely reasonable stance for any Government, anyone in the UK to take. But we do know people will come, come what may to the UK, and that's why the system has got to deal with it and it's got to be effective."