An MP has blasted a proposal for Hertfordshire to become a county of sanctuary for refugees as a "grandstanding gesture" in favour of "people who have entered the UK illegally".

Lewis Cocking, Conservative MP for Broxbourne, hit out at the motion yet to be decided by the county council as an "out of touch, ideological initiative".

Mr Cocking wrote a heated open letter to council leader, Cllr Steve Jarvis, which was published on X. It stated: "At my local surgeries, I regularly speak to constituents who are struggling with housing, can't get their kids into their local school or get GP appointments, and are paying massive sums for basic dental treatment.

"It is frankly disgraceful that illegal asylum seekers are given preferential treatment to access all of these services.

"The county is facing a SEND crisis and working parents are worried sick about their children's futures. Roads and other parts of our infrastructure are falling apart.

"It is therefore astonishing that you are choosing to spend time and resources on out of touch ideological initiatives like the 'county of sanctuary' status…

"You are proposing that Hertfordshire rolls out the red carpet and are sharing a how-to guide to help [asylum seekers] exploit our system."

Mr Cocking added his opinion that "if a person enters this country illegally, they should be detained and immediately deported".

In a response, council leader Cllr Steve Jarvis (Lib Dem, Royston West and Rural), said: "As I have explained to Mr Cocking, no decision has been made about the council signing up to the city of sanctuary programme, which a number of other Hertfordshire councils have already done.

"It is Mr Cocking who is grandstanding about a decision that has not been made.

"Personally, I cannot see why Hertfordshire would not want to be a welcoming and inclusive place for people seeking sanctuary."

City of Sanctuary UK is a charity that manages a network of councils, schools, and businesses dedicated to building a supportive culture for refugees and asylum seekers

St Albans previously announced it was working towards becoming a City of Sanctuary in 2022 during the Ukraine invasion, while North Herts is also listed on the charity's network of local authorities.

Currently, a petition against Hertfordshire County Council joining the scheme stands at 1,711 signatures.

The issue was previously discussed at a county council meeting a week earlier on Tuesday, August 21, when Cllr Peter Colley (Restore Britain, Bedwell) raised the issue.

Cllr Colley said: "There is a motion on notice to move Hertfordshire to a county of sanctuary, that has been pushed through the public health and community safety panel.

"Do you not agree that we, the elected members, do not have the right to inflict this on the constituents of Hertfordshire without a county-wide referendum?"

Cllr Ajanta Hilton (Lib Dem, St Stephen's), chair of the council's public health and community safety committee, responded: "Sorry Peter I don't agree, I think we should be a city of sanctuary.

"We should be warm, welcoming and that's why I'm very glad we've got this community cohesion motion coming.

"We should treat everyone equally regardless of their circumstances and I'm sorry but on this occasion, I don't agree with you. I think we should be aiming for a city of sanctuary."

Applause broke out among members after Cllr Hilton finished speaking.

Cllr Colley then said: "Saying you agree with the city of sanctuary; have you or anybody else worked out how much it is going to cost the constituents of Hertfordshire as a whole or per capita?

"For those who pay council tax, either full or subsidised amounts, how much more is this going to cost?"

Cllr Hilton said: "It's not a question of money. A referendum would cost money as well.

"This isn't a question that's appropriate I'm afraid. It really is a case of – whoever comes into our county is welcome. They will contribute. They will pay their way.

"It's not a case of a certain section of group versus another cert section of a group. We're here to support the most vulnerable where it's needed. That could be from whatever background, whatever country, wherever they come from, we should support all who need it, and that is how we approach Hertfordshire as a whole."