Nigel Farage has hit out at Sir Keir Starmer for blaming the climate for small boat arrivals. New Home Office knowledge present that the variety of days with good climate circumstances for migrants to cross the Channel this 12 months has greater than doubled in comparison with earlier years.
The Government printed the statistics simply days after a report variety of each day arrivals for this 12 months on Saturday. But Reform chief Mr Farage accused Labour of hypocrisy after the get together beforehand criticised the Tories for blaming the climate.
Speaking on his GB News present, the Clacton MP stated: “Last Saturday was the biggest day this year for the number of people, young men, mostly, that crossed the English Channel.
“The numbers are 42% up on the year from this time last year, and 95% up on the same point in 2023.
“In fact, the numbers that came on Saturday, just shy of 1,200, were the second-biggest day ever in all of this. And normally, you would expect the biggest days to be August, September into October, especially when not just calm weather, but when sea temperatures are higher.
“But I find it pretty extraordinary, this whole saga, that No 10 says it’s because of a number of red days, the number of days when people are able to cross, and that’s why the numbers are up. The Conservatives tried the same trick.”
Mr Farage highlighted how he clashed with James Cleverly during Christmas 2023 when the former home secretary hailed no Channel crossings over the festive period. Mr Farage insisted it was because of the windy weather.
He also highlighted a tweet in April last year by Labour MP Stephen Kinnock slamming the Conservatives for blaming the weather.
Mr Farage said: “And here we are with Labour doing it again. Both sides try to pretend that it’s all because of the weather, but the truth is, are Labour credible when they say things like this?”
His feedback come after Downing Street stated the Government wished to interrupt the hyperlink between beneficial climate circumstances and the variety of small boat crossings.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman acknowledged there have been “no quick fixes” to the issue.
He stated: “The point is that we need to break the link between the level of crossings being reliant on the weather and that is why we need to work upstream with our partners to smash the people-smuggling gangs.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2063938/nigel-farage-keir-starmer-small-boats-weather