Why is everyone so stupid?’ Bev Turner erupts as biggest asylum hotel provider in Britain records staggering profits – ‘Migrants are laughing at us!’
Stay Belvedere Hotels Limited (SBHL), one of the UK’s largest providers of asylum accommodation, has had its Home Office contract terminated following concerns over taxpayer value and record profits exceeding £50 million last year. The company, which housed asylum seekers in 51 hotels across England and Wales – representing about a quarter of all migrant accommodation – faced sharp criticism from both politicians and media figures.
GB News presenter Bev Turner launched a scathing attack on the firm, calling its profits “staggering” and questioning why such lucrative deals were approved. “£50 million record profits from you at home,” she said during a broadcast. “I’m going to get T-shirts made that say ‘why is everyone so stupid?'” Turner emphasized that the issue transcended party politics, noting the contract was originally signed under the Conservative government in 2019 but continued under Labour.
The Home Office cited performance and value-for-money concerns after an audit revealed SBHL’s substantial profits while charging taxpayers £5.5 million daily to house over 38,000 migrants. Border Security Minister Angela Eagle stated: “We have made the decision to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels from the Home Office supply chain and will not hesitate to take further action.”
However, due to contractual obligations, the government cannot fully exit the agreement without penalty until September 2026. SBHL’s portfolio included Napier Barracks in Kent, a controversial site previously criticized for poor living conditions.
The controversy comes as Channel crossings continue, with 5,847 migrants arriving in the UK so far in 2025. Critics, including GB News’ Andrew Pierce, slammed the government’s handling of the crisis: “The migrants are laughing at us. The French police are waving them off. Macron is laughing too.” Pierce argued Labour should have retained the Rwanda deportation scheme as a deterrent, despite previously opposing it.
The Treasury’s Office for Value for Money had previously flagged concerns about firms profiteering from asylum contracts. Meanwhile, the number of migrants in hotels has risen by 8,000 since Keir Starmer’s election pledge to “end asylum hotels.”
The termination of SBHL’s contract signals a shift in the government’s approach, but with billions still tied to existing agreements, the financial and political challenges of the asylum system remain unresolved.
