Minister Robert Jenrick banned from driving for 6 months for speeding

Jenrick announces new migrant housing in PM’s constituency

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has been banned from driving for six months after travelling almost 30mph over a temporary speed limit on the M1 in 2022. Mr Jenrick was also slapped with a £1,639 fine during a court hearing on Tuesday, after previously admitting to travelling at 68mph in a temporary 40mph zone between junctions 18 and 17 on the southbound M1 last August, the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre said.

The case was handled through a Single Justice Procedure at Northampton Magistrates’ Court, allowing a magistrate to rule on criminal cases seen as minor in a closed court. This meant the press and public could not attend to see the ruling handed down.

They also allow defendants to plead guilty or not guilty in writing meaning the l41-year-old did not have to attend court in person.

After appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions at Wakefield Cathedral, the MP for Newark in Nottinghamshire was caught by a speed camera in his Land Rover at approximately 11.30pm on August 5, the London Evening Standard reported.

The publication had previously said that the Wolverhampton born immigration minister was fined £307 and given three penalty points in March, for speeding on the A40 in west London in August 2021.

He was fined £1,107, and ordered to pay a £442 victim surcharge and £90 in costs.

Mr Jenrick has recently come under fire from local activists in the areas he helped select to house asylum seeker bases.

Residents in Scampton in Lincolnshire and Wethersfield in Essex have rallied against the immigration minister and the rest of the Home Office, for deciding to take over historic airbases to house asylum seekers.

Braintree District Council is seeking a legal injunction to halt the Government’s plans to take over the Wethersfield base.

West Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire is also taking legal action.

On Wednesday 29 March, Mr Jenrick told the Commons: “Today the Government is announcing the first tranche of sites we will set up to provide basic accommodation at scale.

“The Government will use military sites being disposed of in Essex and Lincolnshire, and a separate site in East Sussex.

“These will be scaled up over the coming months and will collectively provide accommodation to several thousand asylum seekers through repurposed barrack blocks and portacabins.”

Following Mr Jenrick’s announcement, Braintree District Council said in a statement: “We are aware from the announcement made by central government today, Wednesday 29 March 2023, that the Home Office are intending to proceed with securing accommodation for asylum seekers at Wethersfield Airfield.

“It is extremely disappointing that concerns raised by us and the local community have not been taken on board. Our view remains that Wethersfield Airfield is an unsuitable site, given the lack of capacity in local services, its isolated location, the size of the site, and the fact that the scale of the development proposed could have a significant adverse impact upon the local community.

“For the past two weeks officers have been working tirelessly to keep the situation under review and urgently seeking clarification and more information from the Home Office on these plans.

“We have been exploring all legal options available to us to challenge the Home Office on their decision making and challenge the plans from going ahead. Following legal advice we received, we applied to the High Court this morning (Wednesday 29th March) for an interim injunction. This injunction challenges the Home Office proposals to place asylum seekers at Wethersfield Airfield. The matter is expected to be listed before the High Court within the next 7 days. We understand that the application will be heard by the High Court before the site is occupied by asylum seekers.

“We want to say thank you again to all those who have been working with us, including local parish councils, community groups and residents. We will continue to work with everyone as we move forward.

“If the plans do go ahead and the High Court decide not to grant an interim injunction, we will work closely with our partners to urgently identify any actions required to support any asylum seekers accommodated as well as minimise any impacts on local communities.”

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