Suella Braverman insists Bibby Stockholm is protected as union threatens authorized motion

Suella Braverman insisted the Bibby Stockholm barge is protected after a commerce union threatened authorized motion.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has despatched a “pre-action protocol letter” to the Home Secretary outlining its considerations over questions of safety on the enormous vessel, which is meant to deal with round 500 migrants.

But Mrs Braverman accused the union of launching a “political attack” on the Government.

She instructed BBC Breakfast: “Let me be clear that I’m confident barges are safe.

“This barge has accommodated individuals prior to now – asylum seekers, oil rig staff – and barges of this type have been used to accommodate asylum seekers, for instance in Scotland, so I’m very assured that this barge is protected for human habitation.

“We followed all of the advice and protocols in anticipation of embarkation.

“But let’s be clear about what the FBU are doing, they’re a Labour-affiliated union, they’re finishing up a political assault on the Government by way of their problem proper now.

“They want to stop us, just like we’re dealing with a range of forces who want to stop us from stopping the boats whether its immigration lawyers, charities, NGOs, the Labour Party.

“They’re all gleeful concerning the prospect of us not placing individuals on the barge, of boats coming throughout the Channel. This is all a part of a political try to cease us from delivering on our pledge.”

The first asylum seekers were placed on the barge moored in Dorset’s Portland Port earlier this month after repeated delays.

But they were removed days later after Legionella bacteria, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease, was detected.

Mrs Braverman did not say when asylum seekers would be returning to the floating accommodation.

The FBU, which previously branded the vessel a “potential demise entice”, is demanding a response to its legal letter by Thursday.

The union has raised concerns about access to fire exits and possible overcrowding on the three-storey barge.

General secretary Matt Wrack said: “The FBU is the skilled voice of firefighters, and we’ve got an obligation to make our voices heard on issues of fireside security, particularly when politicians let our members and the broader public down. We have been sounding the alarm concerning the Bibby Stockholm for weeks.

“It is disgraceful that the Home Secretary is not even willing to meet us to discuss these concerns.

“Throughout this episode, the Government has displayed a scarcity of transparency and a callous disregard for the security of each firefighters and those that are on account of be housed on the barge.

“Fires do not discriminate based on immigration status, and neither can fire safety regulations.

“Everyone, irrespective of the place they’re from, has the suitable to dwell in protected and respectable lodging, and firefighters have the suitable to anticipate that they won’t be recklessly endangered.

“This is an industrial issue for the FBU, as our members are the ones expected to respond to any fire aboard the Bibby Stockholm. We have therefore decided to move towards a legal challenge on this matter.”

The barge is one in all a number of websites, together with former navy bases, geared toward slashing the eye-watering resort invoice for housing migrants.