TWO major Government U-turns in one day have prompted joy and derision in York and North Yorkshire.

The Home Office confirmed yesterday that its controversial plans for an asylum seeker reception centre at the former RAF Linton on Ouse base had been abandoned - as the Prime Minister axed the decision in the mini-budget to freeze corporation tax.

Hambleton council leader Mark Robson said the Home Office had finally informed the authority that it would not be progressing proposals to use the Linton on Ouse site as asylum accommodation, following news in August that the Ministry of Defence had withdrawn its offer for the use of the site. 

He said:“It is an excellent outcome for the residents of Linton-on-Ouse and all those living in the surrounding areas as well as for Hambleton District Council, all of which fought hard to oppose these plans."

The news came just days after Thirsk and Malton Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake wrote to Home Secretary Suella Braverman to request confirmation of the decision, saying local residents and councillors were "increasingly concerned" about a lack of formal acknowledgement.

The proposals to house 1,500 ‘destitute single adult male asylum seekers’ for up to six months at Linton while their asylum applications were processed led to a storm of protest from local residents, who said it was the "wrong plan, wrong place."

Meanwhile, York council leader Keith Aspden claimed the Prime Minister's latest U-turn on the mini-budget should be followed by her abandoning the entire package of measures, and he branded every single day of the Truss premiership an 'absolute shambles.'

The Lib Dem councillor said the damage caused by the PM and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, whom she has sacked and replaced by Jeremy Hunt, would have a long term effect on the economy and for those struggling during the cost of living crisis.

"The PM needs to completely abandon the disastrous mini-budget and bring forward a plan that will deliver real help for struggling families and save public services on the brink,"he said.

York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell claimed it was the Prime Minister's 'incompetence' that had allowed the UK economy to 'crash into chaos.'

She said: "No Government can announce an unfunded budget. Today’s latest U-turn has further harmed confidence in our country, which cannot recover while she remains in office.

"This latest episode in this Downing Street drama will not help ordinary families and communities get through the tough months ahead as mortgages and rents continue break household budgets amidst the other cost of living increases we are all facing.

She said Labour had said that Corporation Tax and the top rate of tax should not be cut, and now the Prime Minister had U-turned on both.