This Saturday saw a record 1,194 small boat migrants crossing the Channel – the highest recording on a single day this year. That brings the total number so far this year to 14,811. A whopping 42% higher than at the same point last year…
Home secretary Yvette Cooper was in the Commons this afternoon to try bat off her shadow Chris Philp’s grilling over the record figures. Her response was that the government is “pressing” the French authorities to help:
“This government has reached a new agreement with France and we’re now pressing for that to be operationalised as swiftly as possible.”
Meanwhile, French authorities were actually pictured escorting one of small boats crossing the Channel on Saturday, and last year just over a third of Channel migrants were intercepted by the French. The French agreed to conduct a ‘review’ into their operations on the channel coast back in February. That has still not been completed. So far Cooper’s only success has been to get the French to agree to think about changing its rules…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”