658 migrants have so far arrived to the UK on small boats this year. It’s 19th January by the way….
138 migrants arrived on three small boats yesterday – pushing the total for the year above 500 for the first time – after 317 arrived on Saturday and 171 on Wednesday. This is so far tracking with previous recent years in terms of arrival numbers. Numbers usually spike with improving weather from 1 March. Last year the spike began at the end of January…
There will be pressure on the Home Office’s proposed reforms to target small boat activity in the Channel. Nothing has worked so far…
Kemi Badenoch barely had time to bask in the headlines for her new ‘Deportation Bill’ before some of her colleagues started looking elsewhere. Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe tabled an Early Day Motion on mass illegal deportations, demanding the government “implement a comprehensive national strategy to identify, detain, and deport all individuals found to be residing in the United Kingdom illegally.” Tory MPs Jack Rankin and Peter Bedford are sponsors of the motion…
Three more Conservatives have now signed Lowe’s motion: Andrew Rosindell, Lewis Cocking and Gavin Williamson. The latter two signed the motion after Kemi launched her deportation plan to revoke “indefinite leave to remain” status from migrants who claim benefits in Britain, or who fall below income thresholds. Williamson took to X this morning to say: “Very happy to support a very good motion. Thank you to @RupertLowe10 for bringing it forward.” Meanwhile Kemi hosted drinks party for jittery MPs last night. Only 25 turned up…
New research from the Centre for Policy Studies reveals that the latest surge in migration will cost an eye-watering £234 billion over the migrants’ lifetimes—£8,200 per UK household, according to OBR projections. This comes as over 2 million visas that can lead to indefinite leave to remain have been issued between January 2021 and June 2024. Around 800,000 of them are projected to apply for indefinite leave to remain —500,000 of whom are low-wage and set to be propped up by the UK taxpayer…
And that’s without even counting illegal migration. Meanwhile, the Centre for Migration Control projects that by 2035, a quarter of the UK population will be foreign-born. Labour, desperate to look tough, is out today with its latest stunt to prove they’re so-called ‘smashing the gangs’, unveiling new footage of foreign criminals being deported. A handful of deportations won’t do much to offset the spiralling cost of net migration…
The Office for National Statistics projects that the UK population will surge to 72.5 million by mid-2032, up from 67.6 million in 2022—an increase of 4.9 million, or 7.3%. Driven almost entirely by net migration…
Meanwhile, over 150,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since 2018, with more than 1,000 arrivals this year alone. Yet, migration isn’t even one of Starmer’s “six milestones” for change. Yvette Cooper dismissed it last month as not a “practical milestone,” offering zero commitment to reducing numbers. A population boom means more pressure on housing, schools, hospitals, and public services. Not exactly the sort of “growth” voters were promised…
Net migration fell by 20% this year compared to 2022—but the spotlight remains on last year’s staggering 906,000 figure. Still, the drop is partly thanks to the Conservatives’ tougher stance on student and family visas. Though Kemi Badenoch admitted yesterday the Tories “did not deliver” on their migration promises…
Speaking at a press conference, Badenoch slammed decades of immigration mismanagement, targeting lenient judges and Labour’s long-standing love of open borders. Pointing to Starmer’s past criticisms of immigration laws having a “racist undercurrent,” she branded Labour as fundamentally unserious on migration control. Meanwhile, a senior Tory source tells Guido:
“The numbers have dropped because of the last Conservative Government, but they’re still far too high. Labour won’t do anything to bring them down, Reform will never get the chance. Yesterday Kemi Badenoch admitted the Tories had got it wrong, and laid out the path to making sure the party gets it right in future. We just have to hope Labour haven’t completely broken the system by the time she gets in.”
The Tories are now promising to draw a firm line, unveiling a four-point overhaul:
Edging closer to some actual policies…
Lucy Powell on LBC, asked by Tom Swarbrick for her reaction to Labour MP Samantha Niblett’s call for a ‘summer of sex’ debate in Parliament: “I personally don’t own any sex toys, but each to their own… I’m not really sure that’s the right place for it, no.”