NO wonder Suella Braverman was impressed by the bright new homes being built for the illegal migrants she plans to fly to Rwanda this summer.
The Home Secretary was predictably howled down for “cruelly” suggesting she might take some tips from them on home furnishings.
But the accommodation looks a lot smarter than the run-down remains of RAF Scampton, the legendary Dambusters wartime airbase and, until last year, home to the famous Red Arrows.
Scampton in Lincs was in the news earlier this month after its council signed a £300million deal with the Ministry of Defence to save the 800-acre base as a heritage site.
Now, in a symbolic new Battle for Britain, it is being commandeered as a migrant detention centre.
From tongue scraping to saying no, here are 12 health trends to try in 2023
The regeneration plan, clinched barely two weeks ago after a 14-year battle by local campaigners, entails a new village with a hotel, homes, shops, restaurants and bars.
As a bonus for this deprived region, thousands of new jobs were planned in tourism, technology and aerospace, protecting Scampton’s heritage and keeping the runway open.
In other words, exactly what Rishi Sunak promised to “level-up” deprived rural Britain.
Now, before the ink has even dried, the Levelling-Up Department itself has commandeered the site.
The setting for Guy Gibson’s daring 1943 “Bouncing Bomb” raids on the Mohne Reservoir is being stripped of its RAF past and earmarked for 1,500 asylum cheats.
Priceless historical relics have been packed in crates for storage at the RAF Museum in Hendon.
Tory councillor Roger Patterson, who lives on the site, said: “I am angry. I’ve worked on this for 14 years and now it’s like the whole thing was totally destroyed.”
Last night, ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage dropped a bombshell of his own.
“This is an act of cultural desecration,” he raged ahead of the 80th anniversary of Guy Gibson’s famous squadron.
“You know the film, you know the music. It has become part of our cultural folklore.
How to de-clutter if you have a beauty stash to last you a lifetime
“56,000 Bomber Command servicemen gave their lives in raids over occupied Europe. One of the Vulcan bombers that bombed Port Stanley in the Falklands flew from RAF Scampton.
“And it was home to the Red Arrows, who flew over Buckingham Palace last year for the Queen’s Jubilee.
“The plan was to keep the runway open, turn the old RAF buildings into a living museum and build an industrial site for engineering, tech and much else.
‘Cultural desecration’
“Now, for reasons best known to the Government, they seem to prefer that RAF Scampton becomes one of the new migration detention centres.”
Of course, if you believe Gary Lineker, giving asylum claimants priority over hard-pressed local families is the act of a Nazi-style Tory government.
Nothing more vividly demonstrates the challenge created by 45,000 asylum cheats who crossed the Channel last year or the 143,000 still being processed.
Rural Lincolnshire is Europe’s fourth poorest area. Jobs are scarce. The Scampton regeneration deal was a lifeline that may now be severed by queue-jumpers with no right to be here.
Suella Braverman has been vilified for promising illegal Channel-hoppers a one-way ticket to Rwanda.
Labour’s Keir Starmer would be happy for them all to stay, with a hug for anyone else who cares to come.
Yet it is Starmer who is at odds with British voters and, indeed, those in his beloved European Union.
With an estimated 200million people on the move across Africa, EU member states are carefully monitoring Britain’s attempt to find a response.
Cracked down
Germany, Denmark and Holland are considering relocation deals with Rwanda and other African countries.
Italy has cracked down on charity rescue ships who dump thousands on its shores.
Brussels is even considering building fences to keep illegal migrants out.
For the people of rural Lincolnshire, the fight for RAF Scampton marks an emblematic last stand against illegal migration.
Thousands have already signed a change.org Save Our Dambusters petition.
“It simply must not happen,” said Farage yesterday.
“This is something we must stand up and fight against.
“Let’s show we actually value our heritage.”
