Michelle Dewberry has hit out at Labour over the rising small boat crossings, as Sir Keir Starmer becomes the Prime Minister under whose watch the most migrants have arrived by small boat.
Speaking to Labour MP Jonathan Hinder, Michelle challenged him on the human impact of the crisis: “Let’s see if you’re in one of these communities where these men are being dumped.
“Would you be sitting there thinking, ‘Hey, it’s fine, we just need to wait?’”
She warned that while the Government talks about deterrence and giving policies time to work, the numbers are “going through the roof,” leaving communities anxious, frustrated, and feeling abandoned.
Michelle said local people are increasingly angry that the Government appears unable to control the situation, despite promises to tackle illegal migration.
Mr Hinder defended Labour’s record, saying constituents expect the party to resolve the crisis and that failing to act could lead voters to support politicians with a harder line.
He argued in response: “No one has been more vocal than me on the Labour backbenches: our constituents expect us to sort this out.
“If we don’t, they will look to voices who might not have much else to offer but take a harder line.
Speaking to Labour MP Jonathan Hinder, Michelle challenged him on the human impact of the crisis
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GB NEWS
“If we tackle illegal migration effectively, we can go into the next general election without immigration dominating the agenda legal migration is already falling sharply. That puts us in a stronger position.”
Michelle responded: “One final point I’ve got a headache, and I’ll be honest, I want to go to the pub, but this can’t wait.
“I keep hearing the narrative that falling legal migration is a success. But net migration is falling, in large part because so many Brits, even those watching this programme have had enough and are leaving the country.
“That’s one of the reasons net migration is going down. I’ll tell you what, I don’t blame them.”
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Keir Starmer is officially worse than his predecessors
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GB NEWS
The comments come after Sir Keir Starmer set a new record for small boat crossings, with GB News exclusively revealing he has overtaken all previous Prime Ministers.
In just 19 months in office, more than 65,870 migrants have made the dangerous 21-mile journey across the Channel.
Starmer’s total has already exceeded Boris Johnson’s 65,815 arrivals, despite the former Tory leader taking 39 months to reach the same figure.
The numbers soared in 2025 alone, with over 41,474 migrants arriving, while 23,469 crossed in the first six months of Mr Starmer’s premiership.
Despite freezing conditions in Calais and Dover earlier this month, GB News’s provisional data shows over 800 migrants have already crossed the Channel in 2026, including 273 on a single day.
The milestone was reached shortly after 3.45pm, when the Border Force vessel Volunteer docked in Dover carrying 65 migrants.
Sir Keir Starmer’s total of 65,874 works out at around 117 arrivals per day more than double Boris Johnson’s daily average of 58.
By comparison, Rishi Sunak’s 50,420 arrivals over 22 months average 81 per day.