A Leeds man has turned down a £100,000 Windrush compensation offer from the Home Office, claiming that itcomes nowhere near to taking into account the difficulties he has suffered due to mistakes made around his citizenship.
He has been offered £100,000 pounds as compensation for "maximum for the impact on life', but denied any compensation for financial loss - despite the fact that Home Office errors led to him being denied a mortgage to buy his council house in 2005.
Lorenzo Hoyte, 64, permanently relocated from Barbados to Leeds in 1957 as part of the Windrush Generation - but was not granted a UK passport by the Home Office until September 2018.
He has now said that he feels that the error has left him "living as a third-class citizen [in Leeds] for 40 years."
Due to an inability to prove his citizenship, Mr. Hoyte has been prevented from attending two family funerals abroad, one of which was his mother's.
"When I tried to travel to see my mum for her funeral I was told if you leave the country you cannot get back in," Lorenzo said.
Lorenzo Hoyte moved from Barbados to Leeds when was just ten years old
"I would like to ask any politician in this country - would you accept £100,000 for living as a third-class citizen for 40 years?
"Would you accept £100,000 not to go to your family's funeral - your mother's your brother's your grandparents'?"
Not having a passport has also meant that Mr. Hoyte has repeatedly been told he is not classed as a British citizen and denied some basic rights.
He's struggled to travel abroad at all and missed out on an opportunity to see his Olympic star sister Joslyn Hoyte-Smith compete for Britain in the women’s 4x400m relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
But his real gripe - and reason for turning down the £100,000 offer - is that In 2005, he was refused a mortgage to purchase the Wakefield District Housing-owned house he lives in under the right to buy scheme, simply because he didn't have a British passport.
According to Mr. Hoyte, his house is now worth up to £160,000 - but he claims he has already paid "more in rent than what they have offered me."
"They have offered me the maximum for the impact on life, bit nothing for financial loss.
"The main thing for me is my home. They took away my right to buy a house and have something for my family.
"I've been paying rent on this house since 2000. I tried to buy it in 2005 and the only reason I couldn't buy it was because I didn't have a passport to prove my citizenship."
Despite the error leading to him being refused a mortgage, his claim for 'financial loss' has still been refused by the Home Office.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “The Home Secretary has overhauled the Windrush Compensation Scheme, increasing the amount of compensation paid from £3m to almost £27m, with a further £7.1m offered to victims.
“If someone is unhappy with the award they have been offered they are able to ask for a review by a different decision maker and subsequently by the Adjudicator’s Office who are independent of the Home Office.”
News
One of Leeds’ most historic buildings is being transformed into an all-day cafe, bar and events space
A family-run business is about to breathe new life into one of the city's most culturally significant buildings.
Introducing Moods - a new all-day cafe, bar and events venue that will open to the public at First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate on Friday 31 July.
Created by husband-and-wife founders Will and Hayley Moody, the team behind Buzz Club Tattoo, Moods will occupy the ground floor of the Grade II* listed building.
Originally built in 1711 for the sale of white, undyed cloth, some of its roof timbers have been dated to the mid-1470s, and the building spent more than 20 years on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register before a major restoration by Rushbond returned it to use.
Images: Supplied
Moods will bring speciality coffee, in-house patisserie, elevated day dining, cocktails, wine, beer and events together under one historic roof.
Doors open at 6pm on Friday 31 July for drinks and bar snacks, with all-day food service beginning at 8am on Saturday 1 August.
The kitchen will be led by Head Chef Craig Rogan, who trained within Simon Rogan's Michelin-starred restaurant group, including time at L'Enclume and Fera at Claridge's.
Will Moody said: "Leeds has been our home since university, and First White Cloth Hall felt like the kind of building you do not get a second chance with. From the moment we saw it, we knew it could become much more than a studio home.
"Moods is about opening the ground floor up and giving people a reason to use the building from morning through to night, whether that is coffee, food, drinks, private events or simply a good catch-up with friends."
We can't wait to check out the space, and you can find out more about Moods here.
Leeds is set to be transformed into a huge interactive game of Trivial Pursuit this week
Clementine Hall
Leeds is set to become a giant board game this summer as Trivial Pursuit arrives in the city centre to celebrate a landmark moment in its history.
The famous board game is being brought to life as LeedsBID transforms the city centre into a live version of Hasbro’s iconic Trivial Pursuit board game, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its royal charter.
And a few famous Leeds faces are helping to make it happen.
Running from this Saturday 25 July to Sunday 30 August 2026 and is completely free, players embark on journey across the city centre, travelling from category to category and testing their knowledge of Leeds. Correct answers earn wedges, and once all six are collected, players face a final question to complete the game.
Key locations represent the six traditional Trivial Pursuit categories: Entertainment, Geography, Sports and Leisure, Science and Nature, History, and Art and Literature.
Central to the game will be the stories and achievements that have shaped Leeds over four centuries, from the origins of Marks & Spencer to a connection with the first British internet provider.
An array of well-known personalities are involved, appearing digitally to look back and look ahead at the city’s notable events.
Leeds-born presenter and podcaster Alex Zane, historian Ruth Goodman, and commentator Daniel Norcross each take on Entertainment, History, and Sports & Leisure, telling the stories behind the people, places, and moments that define Leeds.
Angela Griffin says: “LeedsBID have come up with a fun and engaging way to introduce visitors to the Leeds story through Trivial Pursuit, and I was happy to play a part in some of this trivia this summer, which is a real honour as a Loiner.”
Sara Merritt, Principal Keeper, Leeds City Museum and Leeds Discovery Centre. “Leeds City Museum is excited to host TRIVIAL PURSUIT as part of Leeds400 this summer, offering visitors a fun and interactive way to celebrate knowledge, curiosity, and everything that makes Leeds unique.”
Georgina Pellant -
3rd August 2021 
