Andy Burnham has claimed small boat crossings are falling significantly under his Government, telling GB News: “The numbers can fluctuate but overall boat crossings are down, down quite significantly year on year. So that does suggest that the plan is working.”
The Prime Minister has vowed to step up action against people-smuggling gangs, telling GB News: “We will now change our tactics and we will be relentless in chasing them down.”
Mr Burnham has defended the £662million deal with France, arguing: “The payment by results deal has created a change. There is more law enforcement on the other side of the channel in summer 2026 than there was last summer.”
He has acknowledged that the Government still has more work to do, telling GB News: “That’s not good enough.”
The Prime Minister has insisted that restoring control of the border remains a priority, declaring: “The public wants to see control being exerted, and while we’ve made progress, there is more to do, and I recognise that completely.”
