One year on, Keir Starmer’s promise to “smash the gangs” and stop the illegal Channel crossings is in complete tatters. Just like his pledge to not raise taxes on working people, it’s clear the Prime Minister simply said what he needed to in order to get elected. With the government in disarray and his poll numbers plummeting it’s clear the public are having none of it.

The magnitude of his failure on migration is already smashing records rather than the criminal gangs. In 2025 alone, over 20,000 illegal migrants have crossed the Channel. Crossings have hit a total of 44,000 since Starmer became Prime Minister.

This is nearly 50% higher than the same point last year, and with more calm weather over the summer I am certain that we will see even more boats landing on our shores.

This government’s actions have shown that it simply doesn’t care. A feeble attempt to negotiate a ‘one-in one-out’ returns deal will still not reduce the numbers, rendering it totally meaningless. It will also still mean we’re sending hundreds of millions of pounds to the French for them to look on as migrants set sail from their beaches.

Macron is taking Starmer for a mug, and we’re literally paying the price. But the cost of our deal with France is almost microscopic compared to what we pay for asylum accommodation, which now costs us almost £5bn every year. This is equivalent to the income tax and national insurance contributions from nearly 600,00 British workers – a city the size of Manchester.

In the minds of the British public, this has now become one of the most pressing issues facing the UK. It’s no surprise when we’re letting in tens of thousands of migrants and dumping them in the heart of communities with no idea who they are, whether they have a criminal background or whether they pose a risk to the public.

This government needs to get a grip, ditch the ECHR and do the bare minimum that’s expected of them: protecting this country.