The exchange highlighted the growing political friction over how to handle the small boats crisis, contrasting Reform UK’s proposed hardline militarized stance with the current Labour government’s approach.
The interview focused heavily on the logistics of Reform UK’s recently announced “Operation Fortress.” The host pressed Cunningham on the practical execution of the policy, directly quoting Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf’s previous assertion that Royal Marines would disembark migrants on French shores even if the Elysée Palace refuses to consent. The host repeatedly challenged Cunningham to explain how the military would physically and practically execute such an operation without French cooperation .
Cunningham pushed back against the framing of the policy as a hostile action, clarifying that it is intended as a humanitarian rescue mission. “We’re not sending soldiers onto French beaches, of course not. They’re an ally. They’re a NATO member,” Cunningham stated. “We’re returning people safely to where they embarked after rescuing them at sea” .
She argued that the diplomatic burden would fall on Paris to justify any refusal to cooperate. “If France did stop us, they would have to explain why it’s refusing to accept people who’ve just departed,” she argued, noting that the UK has already paid France up to £1 billion to manage the crossings . Cunningham insisted that France must either honor its existing agreements or explain why it is rejecting British assistance in safely returning the migrants .
When the host characterized the physical disembarkation process as a critical component of whether the policy would actually work, rather than mere “minutia” , Cunningham emphasized the plan’s deterrence factor. She outlined that intercepted individuals would not face dangerous at-sea “pushbacks.” Instead, they would be taken aboard British vessels, medically assessed, provided with food, and then formally returned to France .
The conversation then pivoted to the current Labour government’s track record. The host cited recent statistics indicating that Channel crossings are down 43% compared to the same period last year, and noted that public approval of the government’s handling of immigration has reached its highest level since 2021 . The host questioned whether these figures suggested Labour’s strategy was succeeding.
Cunningham swiftly dismissed the premise that the public is satisfied with a mere reduction in numbers. “I understand that crossings are down, but I think the British public don’t want it managed. They want it stopped, and they want it stopped abruptly,” she countered .
Concluding her defense of the Royal Navy strategy, Cunningham asserted that the policy ultimately aligns with French domestic interests. By ensuring that migrants cannot successfully reach England, she argued, the incentive to travel to northern France would disappear, thereby helping to close the sprawling smuggling routes and migrant camps in Calais and Dunkirk .