Give Ukrainian refugees shelter in Royal properties, caller demands

12 March 2022, 13:30

Give Ukrainians rooms in royal palaces, caller insists

The UK should 'make use' of the hundreds of empty rooms in Britain's 26 Royal properties by housing Ukrainian refugees there.

Robin called in to LBC as the conversation about Britain's response to the refugee crisis swirls.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has been criticised by her French counterparts and some of her own party's MPs for the lacklustre attempts to house Ukrainians, as visa requirements for those fleeing war remain whilst the rest of Europe have dropped all measures.

"I totally commend people taking anyone into their houses", the caller told Andrew Pierce, before offering a suggestion to how the UK can address the crisis without putting the onus on ordinary Brits.

Read more: MPs should offer up spare houses to Ukrainian refugees, caller insists

"We could make use of all the empty royal properties.

"You've got Balmoral, you've got Windsor Castle, you've got Sandringham, you've got any amount of places with empty rooms and they're all paid for by the state so it isn't as though it's free. We pay for it through our taxes."

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"Buckingham Palace has got about 450 rooms" Andrew pointed out, suggesting the caller might be on to something.

"They could all bed down in Buckingham palace and it wouldn't be a cost because it's already paid for" Robin replied.

He went on to tell LBC listeners that we need to "challenge more people in authority" to practice what they preach and offer their own homes up to refugees as they expect ordinary Brits to do so.

"The government need to get in tow with the public mood."