A furious clash erupted on GB News as guests Alex Armstrong and Scarlett MccGwire locked horns over the soaring cost of housing migrants in the UK.
The heated exchange followed revelations that taxpayers are now footing a bill of £4 million per day for asylum accommodation.
The pair traded angry words over whether asylum seekers arriving by boat are being returned and whether the £15 billion total cost should be prioritised against other spending needs.
Armstrong asserted: "The issue here, Scarlett, is that this is costing £15 billion.
The pair traded angry words over whether asylum seekers arriving by boat are being returned
GB NEWS
"The government has just said they won’t compensate victims of rape gangs. They’ve taken away the winter fuel allowance. I know where the money is coming from but it’s still tax money.
"Even if it's technically international aid, who pays for that? We do. It’s still our taxes. There’s a pot called ‘international aid’, right? But it’s our money."
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MccGwire replied: "I don’t think you understand how budgeting works."
Armstrong responded: "I do understand but I’m saying that the Budget should prioritise British people first."
As she tried to interject, a visibly frustrated Armstrong said: "Can you ever let me finish a sentence? The point is, we put 0.3 per cent of GDP into international aid. That money doesn’t go to investigating rape gangs, it goes to international aid."
MccGwire said: "And a large portion of that money goes to asylum seekers and, actually, Ukrainian refugees."
Armstrong replied: "You’re missing my point. Why are we spending it on those things, while telling victims of the biggest stain on our country that they can’t have a penny in compensation?"
MccGwire, exasperated, said: "No, Alex, come on, are you stupid?"
The NAO [National Audit Office] report revealed that three companies - Clearsprings Ready Homes, Mears Group and Serco - have made a combined profit of almost £400 million since September 2019.
Clearsprings is now set to be paid £7.3 billion over the 10-year contract period, while Serco will receive £5.5 billion and Mears £2.5 billion.
MccGwire fumed said: "No, Alex, come on, are you stupid?"
GB NEWS
Responding to the NAO's findings, a Home Office spokesman said: "We inherited an asylum system in chaos with tens of thousands stuck in a backlog, claims not being processed and disastrous contracts that were wasting millions in taxpayer money."
The spokesperson added that the government has "taken immediate action" by increasing asylum decision-making by 52 per cent.
They claimed 24,000 people with no right to remain have been removed, resulting in fewer asylum hotels than before the election.
"By restoring grip on the system and speeding up decision making we will end the use of hotels and are forecast to save the taxpayer £4 billion by the end of 2026."
