A record 230 people have arrived at Dover after crossing the English Channel in a single small boat, surpassing the previous record of 165, as Lord Redwood brands the situation a ‘disaster’
Andy Burnham suffered live TV humiliation(Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham has suffered another setback as it emerged that a record 230 individuals were reported to have reached Dover after making the illegal crossing from France in a single small vessel. This has beaten the previous record of 165, which was established last month.
The dinghy arrived during the early hours of 10 August, bringing the total number of small-boat arrivals in 2026 to 14,819. Discussing the “breaking news” was TalkTV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer and former Cabinet minister Lord Redwood, who delivered a damning verdict on the Labour government’s management of the crisis.
“It’s a disaster and it makes Britain look weak and the government doesn’t seem to be concerned about the problem at all. Mr. Burnham should go straight to Dover instead of these silly walkabout tours, listening to people trying to get confirmation that they’re worried about the cost of living.”, reports the Express.
‘We all know we’re all worried about the cost of living’(Image: JACK TAYLOR, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“We all know we’re all worried about the cost of living.”
Lord Redwood contended that Burnham needs to be taking greater action to address the matter as he went on: “He’s needed in Dover. He needs to talk to our border force.
“Will they change their tactics when they pick these people up in mid channel? Will they at least arrest the people who are driving the boats because they can see who’s driving the boat when they go to the rescue?”
He further stated: “All the people on the boats should be required to tell the authorities in Britain who they paid and how they found out about the illegal boat trip because he needs to take his smashing the gangs rhetoric seriously and they’re not really trying.
“He also needs to get on the phone straight away to the president of France and say that we’re not going to keep on paying a big chunk of our £660 million over three years for this appalling service.”
Lord Redwood alleged that the French authorities “just sit and watch” and “allow” the illegal immigrants to board the boats.
The 75 year old vented: “They don’t try and stop them. They don’t arrest them. They don’t puncture the boat when it’s in shallow waters, all the things that would be much safer to do than the rescue mid channel which our border force vessels at considerable expense are forced to do by the complete inadequacy of the French authorities.”