Poor co-ordination was ‘open invitation’ for small boats, Starmer says March 31, 2025 Poor co-ordination between policing and intelligence agencies was an “open invitation” to people smugglers transporting arrivals in small boats, Sir Keir Starmer has claimed. The Prime Minister has said his government “inherited this total fragmentation between our policing, our Border Force and our intelligence agencies” and warned there were “gaps in our defence, an open [...]
Number of migrants arriving in UK after crossing Channel passes 5,000 March 22, 2025 More than 5,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far this year, latest figures show. Some 341 people made the journey in six boats on Thursday, bringing the provisional total for the year so far to 5,025. This is the earliest point in the year that crossings have reached [...]
Canada wants to restart trade talks with UK, amid Trump tariffs row February 5, 2025 Canada wants to restart discussions on a free trade deal with the UK, amid a row with US President Donald Trump over tariffs. It comes as Trump put a pause on the 25 per cent tariffs he plans to impose on Canadian imports, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struck a deal over migration and [...]
Small boats: Crackdown on suspected smuggling gangs as migrant numbers up January 2, 2025 Suspected people smugglers could face travel and social media bans as the government announced a fresh crackdown in its bid to “smash the gangs” and cut arrivals on small boats. Court orders to restrict the activity of those under investigation for such crimes will be strengthened as part of draft legislation to be introduced in [...]
Home secretary criticised for not saying when small boat crossings will fall December 15, 2024 The home secretary has been criticised for not saying when small boat crossings will fall. Yvette Cooper has insisted the government has a moral responsibility to tackle the crisis, but refused to say when the number of people arriving across the English Channel will decline. The Labour minister was criticised by her Tory opponent for [...]
Newts can’t be ‘more protected than people who need housing’, Rayner says December 8, 2024 Angela Rayner has said the UK should not be in a situation where “newts are more protected than people” who need housing, ahead of a government shake-up of planning. The deputy Prime Minister suggested protecting the country’s wildlife should not always be prioritised over building new homes, after Sir Keir Starmer last week reiterated his [...]
No ‘numerical’ migration target but UK should train own workers, minister says December 1, 2024 The UK won’t have a “numerical target” for net migration but should focus on training “our own workforce”, a cabinet minister has said. Pat McFadden has said the government wouldn’t be putting a figure on the level of net migration it wanted to see as part of the wider plan for change to be announced [...]
Italian firms Leonardo and Marcegaglia to invest £485m in Britain, Starmer reveals September 16, 2024 Two Italian companies Leonardo and Marcegaglia are set to invest £485m into the UK, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The news came during a joint press conference in Rome with the Prime Minister of Italy, Georgia Meloni, as part of Sir Keir’s trip to strengthen ties on migration, trade and defence. Aerospace firm Leonardo will [...]