Why are councils blocking homes for Ukrainian refugees?

Over the course of three days in September 1939, 1.5 million evacuees were sent to rural locations across Britain considered to be safe from the impending war. In a staggering logistical feat facilitated by thousands of volunteer helpers – from teachers to railway staff – children were swiftly relocated, with gas masks around their necks, suitcases in hand. Stately homes were given over for use as nursery schools. Local authorities attempted to provide a full-time education by finding alternative buildings – pubs, chapels and church crypts.

Contrast what was achieved over eight decades ago, where only a few wealthy families had phones and the web was the stuff of science fiction, with the news this weekend that officious councils are blocking UK homes for Ukrainian refugees because they have plug sockets that are too low, garden ponds, or the wrong type of plaster on their ceilings. Consider how, a few weeks ago, one sponsor application was unsuccessful because the property didn’t have central heating.