Keir Starmer has criticized small boats as “Farage boats” while intensifying his criticisms of the Reform leader.
The Prime Minister expressed that the UK is working to catch up on lost progress as he strongly criticized Mr. Farage’s Brexit commitments. During an interview with GB News, Mr. Starmer mentioned that the Reform leader was mistaken in asserting that exiting the EU would not impact migration policies during the 2016 Brexit campaign.
“We have addressed that issue now, but there is still more to be done. I want to remind Nigel Farage and others that before our EU departure, we had a returns agreement in place with all EU countries, and he assured the nation that leaving would not change anything. He was mistaken in that assertion,” stated Mr. Starmer.
“These boats, in many respects, are Farage boats crossing the Channel.” This statement follows a recent suggestion at the Lib Dem conference to refer to small boats as Brexit boats.
Critics argue that the termination of the returns agreement with Europe played into the hands of smuggling networks. French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted that Brexit had affected the UK’s ability to repatriate individuals, thereby encouraging the increase in Channel crossings.
Upon exiting the EU, the UK did not establish an alternative arrangement for the Dublin Convention, which allows for the return of asylum seekers to the first EU member state they entered.
During the summer, the UK government reached a ‘one-in-one-out’ agreement with France, resulting in the detention and removal of small boat arrivals. In return, individuals with legitimate reasons to come to the UK are permitted entry.
Government officials argue that this approach will discourage risky journeys. Although the returns agreement led to only a small number of deportations, the PM emphasized the significance of demonstrating the effectiveness of the policy.
Labour has escalated its criticism of Mr. Farage recently, with figures like Mr. Starmer denouncing Reform’s proposal to eliminate indefinite leave to remain for individuals already residing in the UK as “racist.”
However, Mr. Starmer clarified that he does not consider Mr. Farage or his supporters to be racist. He stated that concerns about issues like border control and frustration with the pace of change do not equate to racism.
The Labour leader emphasized that he was specifically addressing a policy and expressed concern that Reform’s plans could result in the lawful deportation of migrants residing in the UK, which he believes would be divisive.
In an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC, Mr. Starmer refuted the Reform leader’s claim that his criticism could incite the radical left and jeopardize the safety of Reform members, stating that this was not the case.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s recent actions, Mr. Farage shared in the Daily Mail that his perception of the PM had shifted. “While we may disagree on our views, until now, I believed he was a reasonable individual,” he remarked. “However, I am now taken aback by his conduct. I hope that he wakes up today feeling remorseful for the impact on British politics in recent days.”