Rishi is insisting his plan to stop the boats is working, and that he “fully” expected crossing numbers to rise over the summer months with the improved weather conditions. Speaking to hacks on the way to Vilnius for the NATO leaders’ summit, the PM claimed it was all part of the plan:

“It is worth bearing in mind that the numbers have escalated every year. I remember when I came in that people were saying what was going to happen. If you look at the trajectory of the increase year over year over year, the numbers have been going up very sharply. The fact that they were down for five months of the year, the fact that they are still down even if it is less, compared to what people were expecting is really a much better result than anyone was expecting.”

The number of migrants detected in the Channel reached their 2023 record on Friday. The boats are accelerating, not stopping. He’s in choppy waters…