Two senior shadow ministers have descended on northern France, as they accuse the French of “aiding and abetting” small boat migrants.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick have been spending time in Calais after it was announced 50,000 people have illegally crossed the Channel since Labour won the General Election last year.
Jenrick wrote on social media: “I’ve just spent 48 hours in northern France. It’s sickening. It’s a disgrace. The French are aiding and abetting small boat migrants coming into the UK.”
Meanwhile, Philp said: “I’m heading to France right now to find out more about what’s happening on the ground with the illegal migration crisis, following my observations at sea on the channel last week.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour’s promise to “smash the criminal boat gangs” in its manifesto last year was “just a slogan.”
She added that crossings now “so much worse” than they were before the vote.
There have been 27,029 arrivals so far this year, which is 47 per cent higher than at the same point of 2024 when the figure stood at 18,342, and 67 per cent higher than at the same time in 2023 (16,170).
Former home secretary Baroness Smith, who is now an education and women and equalities minister, told the BBC: “Criminal gangs have got an absolute foothold in the tragic trafficking of people across the Channel.
“It is an unacceptable number of people.”
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Ed Davey takes swipe at Nigel Farage after meeting with Vice President JD Vance
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey
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PA
The Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said Nigel Farage is more interested in “pleasing Trump” as he took aim at the Reform UK leader.
Davey said: “Nigel Farage could use his meeting with JD Vance to tell the White House that in Europe we stand together against Putin’s aggression.
“But Farage won’t do that because he’s much more interested in pleasing Trump than in standing up for British values and European security.”
Westminster issues warning to Germany and France ahead of Putin-Trump talks
Westminster officials have issued a warning to European Union leaders to stop “unhelpful running commentary” ahead of crucial talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Insiders told the Telegraph that Sir Keir Starmer has made no public comments on the discussions between the Russian and US leaders.
However, there is increasing concern that public comments by the likes of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could spook Putin and cause Trump to cut Europe out of talks altogether.
The source said: “Unlike our European colleagues, we are not publicly out there making demands of the Americans.
“A lot of the way the Europeans seem to be behaving, they’re going to annoy the Americans, they’re going to annoy Trump if they start making demands and if they put out red lines.”