A Constituency Labour Party group has been slammed for sharing a flyer for a planned Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) counter-protest ahead of a demonstration outside an asylum hotel in Aldershot on Friday.

The Farnham & Bordon Labour group shared the flyer, which called on activists to “stop the far right” and march towards the hotel.

Local residents in Aldershot, which neighbours Farnham, are expected to gather at the hotel - where small boat migrants have been staying for several years.

At protests outside the hotel earlier this year, counter-protestors were escorted to the protest site by police officers, despite some wearing face coverings.

Footage released last month showed officers from Hampshire Constabulary walking alongside the activists.

One of the protestors was seen carrying an SUTR placard.

SUTR is partly funded by trade unions and has regularly organised counter-protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers.

A spokesman for the police force last month defended the escort and said that its officers “engage with those attending, and ensure they know where they can safely protest both in advance and on the day".

In response to the local Labour group sharing the SUTR poster, a Labour spokesperson told GB News that the Government "could not be clearer" about the action it was taking to tackle illegal migration, citing the recent treaty with France and further spending on National Crime Agency operations.

The spokesperson insisted that the Tories and Reform were both shouting from the sidelines while, "only Labour is delivering the tough action needed to secure Britain's borders."

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Aldershot local Jez Stocking, who is one of the organisers for the protest, told GB News that he was concerned that Labour Party activists were now promoting the counter-protest.

“This is a protest organised by local families concerned about their safety after the arrival of unvetted illegal migrants.

“Labour activists should not be aligning with these masked counter-protestors who risk creating a disturbance and division at our peaceful event.”

The so-called 'Pink Protest' organisers say that it has been organised against the "risk posed to women and girls" due to the arrival of "unidentified men" in the area.

Protests have sparked outside asylum hotels in many towns this summer after several instances of asylum seekers in Home Office-approved accommodation being charged with sexual offences against children.

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At protests in Epping last month, Essex Police was criticised after footage emerged of them escorting SUTR activists towards The Bell Hotel, where a protest against the hotel was already taking place.

The police denied being overwhelmed and outnumbered after violence and disorder soon broke out. In later demonstrations, the two sides were separated by fencing and over a dozen additional forces were called on to assist with policing the protests, which passed without incident.

Farnham & Bordon MP Greg Stafford told GB News that local Labour activists in his constituency were promoting hard-left groups instead of solutions to the small boats crisis.

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“I fully respect the right to protest - but there’s a big difference between standing up for your beliefs and using protests as a substitute for doing the hard work of governing.

“Labour seems more interested in marching alongside hard-left groups than tackling the illegal immigration crisis head-on. Local Labour figures have backed these protests, organised by fringe Marxist outfits intent on stirring up division - all while staying silent on what they’d actually do to fix the system.”

Mr Stafford added: “Meanwhile, the reality on the ground is that struggling towns are being hit hardest, as failing hotels take on government contracts to house asylum seekers. That puts huge strain on local services that are already under pressure - and it cannot go on.

“People want solutions, not stunts. Labour needs to stop chasing headlines and start showing how they would get a grip on the immigration system and restore some calm and order after such a difficult year.”
The Labour Party was contacted for comment.