Sir Keir Starmer has sensationally declared Nigel Farage responsible for causing Britain’s small boats crisis, branding the Channel crossings “Farage boats” and blaming Brexit for destroying the UK’s ability to return illegal migrants to Europe.
The Prime Minister escalated his war of words with the Reform UK leader during a combative interview with GB News, claiming Mr Farage had “scuppered” Britain’s returns agreements with the EU and held sole responsibility for the nation’s broken borders.
“I would gently point out to Nigel Farage and others that before we left the EU we had a returns agreement with every country in the EU, and he told the country it would make no difference if we left,” Sir Keir stated. “He was wrong about that. These are ‘Farage boats’, in many senses, that are coming across the Channel.
The explosive comments came as Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool descended into chaos, with 1,368 illegal arrivals reaching British shores since the gathering began on Sunday – a damning indictment of the government’s border control efforts during their own party conference.
PM Hints at Human Rights Law Changes
In a significant shift, the Prime Minister today indicated he would consider reforming how courts apply human rights laws in migrant cases concerning “torture” under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Sir Keir told BBC Radio 4 that ministers should “look at issues” where migrants use the treaty to prevent deportation by claiming inadequate conditions in their home countries. “I think there’s a difference between someone being deported to summary execution and someone who is simply going somewhere where they don’t have the same level of healthcare, or for that matter the same prison conditions,” he stated.
The Prime Minister added: “And therefore, I do think we should look at issues like that again, I think there’s quite an appetite to look at issues like that again.”
Conference Erupts in Political Warfare
The clash ignited Labour’s four-day gathering in Liverpool, with Sir Keir using his keynote speech yesterday to brand Mr Farage an “enemy” who “hated Britain.” He vowed to “fight with every breath I have” to stop the Reform UK leader, pitching himself as a true patriot who believed in a Britain with “the grit of the Lionesses, the swagger of Oasis, the strength of the Red Roses.
Mr Farage fired back furiously, warning Labour would be “taught a lesson” in next year’s elections and accusing the PM of whipping up hatred against Reform UK supporters. “This is a desperate last throw of the dice from a Prime Minister who’s in deep trouble, a Prime Minister who can’t even command the support of half of his own party,” he declared.
Brexit’s Role in Migration Crisis
The Prime Minister’s attempt to blame Brexit for the small boats crisis centres on the Dublin Convention, which allowed pre-Brexit Britain to return asylum seekers to the first EU country they entered. Since leaving the EU, Britain lost access to this returns mechanism, complicating efforts to deport migrants who arrive via France and other European nations.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden backed the PM’s position, stating: “As a consequence of leaving the European Union: no Dublin agreement, no agreement at all, not even an imperfect one. And we’re having to rebuild from that position and reach new returns agreements with other countries.”
However, critics note that small boat crossings have surged dramatically since Brexit was implemented in 2020, with more than 33,000 people arriving in the UK so far this year – a record since data collection began in 2018.
Reform’s Controversial Immigration Policy
The political battle has centred on Reform UK’s pledge to axe Indefinite Leave to Remain and force migrants to reapply for visas after five years if the party wins power. Sir Keir branded this plan “racist and immoral,” arguing it would tear families apart and target people legally residing in Britain.
Reform has responded by accusing the Prime Minister of inciting violence against their MPs and campaigners. The party’s Head of Policy, Zia Yusuf, made the shocking claim that Mr Farage’s security detail had been slashed by 75 per cent just hours after the PM’s accusations.
“Two weeks ago, the authorities cut Nigel’s security detail by 75%, and then we have seen the most extraordinary 48 hours of demonisation and, I’m going to say it again, incitement to violence against the man who is the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next prime minister,” Mr Yusuf told Times Radio.
Labour’s Failed Border Control
The timing of Sir Keir’s attacks proves particularly embarrassing given Labour’s catastrophic border control failures during their own conference. Since Sunday’s opening, 1,368 illegal arrivals have reached British shores, undermining the government’s claims to be tackling the crisis.
The government’s “one-in, one-out” deal with France, whereby Britain accepts one legal migrant for every illegal arrival returned, has been criticised as allowing people smugglers to effectively determine UK immigration numbers rather than the government itself.
Political Stakes Rising
Sir Keir framed the political battle as a “defining choice” as significant as rebuilding from World War Two’s rubble. “We have not had a proposition like Reform in this country ever before,” he warned. “This is a different fight. It is a fight about who we are as a country. It goes to the soul of our future.”
The Prime Minister’s decision to blame Mr Farage personally for the migration crisis represents a high-stakes gamble, particularly given Reform UK’s rising poll numbers and Mr Farage’s status as bookmakers’ favourite to become the next Prime Minister.
As Labour struggles with record-low approval ratings and internal dissent, the party appears to be adopting an increasingly confrontational approach towards Reform UK, viewing Farage’s party as their primary electoral threat ahead of next year’s local elections and the 2029 general election.
The escalating rhetoric and personal attacks from both sides signal British politics entering a new phase of polarisation, with immigration and Brexit’s legacy at the heart of the nation’s most bitter political divide.
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Image Credit:
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — photo by UK Government / No 10 Downing Street, licensed under CC BY 3.0
