THE Tories have been accused of using migrants as “scapegoats” for the UK housing emergency, with “deeply worrying language” suggesting housing will go to “British people” who work hard.

In a post on social media, the Conservative party official account posted a graphic  with the words “British homes for British people”.

Another slogan stated: "We’re ensuring decent hard working people are prioritised for the home they need."

The caption read: “We are making sure the allocation of social housing is fairer for people and cracking down on rule breakers”.

The post came after reports in late January that Downing Street is considering a “British homes for British workers” scheme to give UK families higher priority for social housing.

According to The Guardian, officials are preparing to launch a consultation within weeks into how British citizens can be given faster access to social housing.

The post caused outrage across with Twitter/X users, including a post from Shelter, the UK’s leading housing charity.

It called out the post's “deeply worrying language” as a way to blame migrants “for failings in society” and hide genuine government failure.

The organisation said: “This is deeply worrying language, that has historically been used to blame migrants for failings in society and to divide people and communities.

“It's a smokescreen designed to cover up the government’s own failure to tackle the housing emergency. #SocialHousingNotScapegoating.”

It added: “As the #GeneralElection approaches, we expect to hear more and more calls stigmatising people who weren't born here.

The National: Shelter

“This shouldn't be normalised in our politics – let's support everyone who is hit hardest by the housing emergency and push for real solutions.”

Another user wrote: “We see you Tories very well now and know your old tricks”, with others suggesting the party avoid building houses.

One wrote: “Maybe, just work to make regular housing affordable and crackdown on parasitic landlords and buy to let schemes? Just a thought lads.”

No 10 and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities both previously declined to comment on what they called “policy speculation”.

The Prime Minister is striving to be seen as tough on immigration after net legal levels hit record highs under the Tories and he struggles to get his Rwanda policy for illegal crossings accepted.

READ MORE: Sky News: Tory MP Andrea Leadsom slammed for 'shameless' Brexit defence

Amid dire polling for the Conservatives, Rishi Sunak is wary of losing votes to the right-wing Reform UK party as well as to Labour.

Polly Neate, the chief executive of the Shelter housing charity, described the proposal as “divisive and depressing” and “nothing more than scapegoating at its worst”.

“It is unnecessary, unenforceable and unjust,” she said.

“Not only does it ignore the fact that there are already stringent rules so only UK citizens or those with settled status can access homes for social rent, but it blames a group of people for a housing emergency that they did not create.”