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Oct 10 2023
Waving a Palestinian flag on British streets ‘may not be legitimate’, Suella Braverman warns | UK News

Waving a Palestinian flag on British streets “may not be legitimate” if it is done to show support for acts of terrorism, the home secretary has told police chiefs.

In a letter to chief constables across England and Wales, Suella Braverman urged officers to use the “full force of the law” against shows of support for Hamas following its unprecedented attack against Israel.

It comes after vigils were held in Westminster for Israeli civilians killed and held captive, while pro-Palestinian rallies took place outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington.

Read more: Israel vows to ‘wipe out’ Hamas – live updates

Ms Braverman said targeting Jewish neighbourhoods, waving pro-Palestinian or pro-Hamas symbols, and chanting anti-Israeli slogans could all amount to public order offences.

Hamas has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK and many other Western nations, including the EU and the US.

Because of this, she reminded police forces that it is a criminal offence for people in the UK to:

• Belong to Hamas or invite support for the group

• Wear clothing in public that suggests they are a member or supporter of Hamas

• Publish images of flags or logos linked to the organisation

Image:
Ms Braverman joined officers in a patrol of Golders Green on Monday

“At a time when Hamas terrorists are massacring civilians and taking the most vulnerable (including the elderly, women, and children) hostage, we can all recognise the harrowing effect that displays of their logos and flags can have on communities,” Ms Braverman wrote.

Suella Braverman speaks to volunteers during a visit to Bolton Lads and Girls Club
Image:
Suella Braverman has written to the UK’s chief constables

She added unrest in the Middle East has previously been used “as a pretext to stir up hatred against British Jews” – and there is an “obvious risk this pattern will be repeated during the current conflict”.

“In the past, this has included vandalism of Jewish businesses, desecration of memorials and religious sites, physical and verbal abuse of Jews on the streets, convoys driving through Jewish neighbourhoods hurling antisemitic abuse, and proliferation of antisemitism online,” she warned.

Read more:
Babies killed in Hamas attack, Israel says
Why is Hamas in conflict with Israel?
What is life like in the Gaza Strip?

A Tube train bridge, branded with 'Free Palestine' graffiti, is seen in in Golders Green, London, Britain, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon
Image:
‘Free Palestine’ was daubed on a railway bridge in north London

On Monday, a kosher restaurant in Golders Green – an area of north London with a significant Jewish population – had its windows smashed and a cash register stolen, while “Free Palestine” was daubed on a nearby railway bridge.

The graffiti is being investigated as a potential hate crime by the British Transport Police, with local authorities describing it as a “deliberate attempt to intimidate the Jewish community”.

A vandalised Kosher restaurant is seen near a bridge with 'Free Palestine' painted on it, in Golders Green in London, Britain, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon
Image:
A kosher restaurant was vandalised in Golders Green

Ms Braverman went on to stress online offending must be treated as seriously as offline incidents – and all perpetrators must face “heavy criminal consequences” to prevent future incidents and ensure Jewish communities feel safe.

“There can be no place for antisemitism or glorification of terrorism on the streets of Britain,” she added.

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Aug 28 2023
Heathrow Airport warns services will ‘remain significantly disrupted’ after UK air traffic control fault | UK News

Heathrow Airport has said its services will “remain significantly disrupted” on Tuesday after air traffic controllers across the UK experienced a technical fault.

In a statement about the “technical issues” that affected the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), Britain’s busiest airport urged passengers to contact their airline before travelling to the airport.

“The issue has been resolved, however schedules remain significantly disrupted,” it said.

“If you are travelling on 29th August, please ensure you contact your airline before travelling to the airport.”

Brits stuck abroad as warnings disruption could last into the week – live updates

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London Gatwick has said it plans to operate a normal schedule on Tuesday following the disruption.

However, passengers have been advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.

London Stansted also said it planned to run a normal flight schedule on Tuesday, but added “our terminal may be busier than anticipated”.

And major UK airlines such as Tui and BA warned of “significant delays” for passengers amid changes to schedules.

By Monday afternoon 232 flights departing UK airports had been cancelled along with 271 arriving flights, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. It equates to about 8% of all expected departures and 9% of expected arrivals, Cirium added.

The technical fault meant flight plans had to be input manually by controllers.

Read more:
What we know about system failure and how it’s affecting flights

What have airports said about the disruption?

While NATS has confirmed it has fixed the technical issue with the UK’s air traffic control system, airports have warned the disruption it has caused will continue. Here’s what some of them have said.

London Luton Airport: “The earlier technical issue with air traffic control systems has now been resolved, however widespread disruption continues across UK airspace.”

Manchester Airport: “As a result of the nationwide technical problem experienced by NATS earlier today, there continues to be flight disruption, including delays and cancellations.”

Newcastle International Airport: “We understand that the technical issue with National Air Traffic Services is now resolved, but it will take some time for operations to get back to normal.”

London Stansted Airport expects to run a normal flight schedule on Tuesday 29 August, following the nationwide technical issue that affected air traffic control. We do still advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport. As our airlines look to accommodate passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted over the past 24 hours, our terminal may be busier than anticipated.
Our teams will be working with our airlines and their handing agents to get you through the airport as smoothly as possible. Thank-you for your understanding.

Heathrow Airport: We apologise for any inconvenience as a result of the NATS technical issues today. The issue has been resolved however schedules remain significantly disrupted. If you are travelling on 29th August, please ensure you contact your airline before travelling to the airport.

Gatwick Airport plans to operate a normal schedule on Tuesday 29 August following disruption today (28 August). Passengers are however advised to check the status of their flight with the airline before travelling to the airport.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said on Monday that “despite resolving the technical issue behind today’s air traffic control issues, flights are still unfortunately affected”.

He said he would encourage all passengers to read the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s guidance and “be aware of their rights when flights are delayed or cancelled”.

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‘I can’t get home to my nine-month-old baby’

Technical issue ‘remedied’ but travellers face continued disruption

Earlier on Monday NATS said the “technical issue” affecting its flight planning system had been “identified and remedied”, but travellers continued to face disruption.

“We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage the flights affected as efficiently as possible,” NATS said.

“Our engineers will be carefully monitoring the system’s performance as we return to normal operations.

“The flight planning issue affected the system’s ability to automatically process flight plans, meaning that flight plans had to be processed manually which cannot be done at the same volume, hence the requirement for traffic flow restrictions.

“Our priority is always to ensure that every flight in the UK remains safe and we are sincerely sorry for the disruption this is causing. Please contact your airline for information on how this may affect your flight.”

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Aug 23 2023
‘Heightened recession risks’ as economy on course for contraction, report warns | Business News

A closely-watched indicator of economic activity suggests the economy is on course to contract in the current third quarter of the year and warns of “heightened recession risks”.

A preliminary reading for the S&P Global/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which covers the dominant services sector and manufacturing, highlighted a slump in factory output and broader weakness during August.

It blamed stubbornly high inflation and the effects of the battle to get the pace of price increases down, namely successive interest rates hikes by the Bank of England.

The survey’s data, it estimated, pointed to a 0.2% fall in overall economic output during the three months to the end of September.

If that was realised, it would not trigger a recession but potentially signal the start of one.

That is because two consecutive quarters of negative growth are needed to meet the technical definition. The economy grew by 0.2% in the three months to June.

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UK economy grows by 0.2%

The UK figures were published shortly after those for Germany and the wider euro area which showed similar trends.

The PMIs suggested that business activity in Europe’s largest economy, which is already in recession, contracted at the fastest pace for more than three years in August.

Its powerhouse manufacturing sector was found to have suffered a deeper downturn than expected while consumers also tightened their belts as services activity contracted sharply.

Germany led the wider eurozone’s reading deeper into negative territory.

Evidence of a growing slowdown prompted financial markets to trim their bets for a fresh hike to interest rates by the European Central Bank (ECB) next month.

That is despite inflation across the 20 nations that use the single European currency standing at 5.3%, according to the latest reading.

It remains well above the central bank’s 2% target.

Refinitiv data suggested that only 40% of market participants were now anticipating a 0.25 percentage point rate hike at the next ECB meeting.

The figure had stood at 60% before the worse-than-expected PMI data was released.

It is a nod to fears that further rate hikes risk deepening Germany’s economic woes at a time when its manufacturers are already grappling the effects of steep falls in demand both at home and abroad, particularly in China.

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China’s economy slips into deflation

The reaction to the UK data saw reductions in peak UK interest rate expectations too, with the pound also losing some of its recent steam against both the dollar and the euro.

Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said of the economy’s fortunes: “The early PMI survey for August suggests that inflation should moderate further in the months ahead, but also
indicates that the fight against inflation is carrying a heavy cost in terms of heightened recession risks.

“A renewed contraction of the economy already looks inevitable, as an increasingly severe manufacturing downturn is accompanied by a further faltering of the service sector’s spring revival.”

He added: “Companies are reporting reduced orders for goods and services as demand is increasingly hit by the cost-of-living crisis, higher interest rates, export losses and concerns about the economic outlook.

“Although cost pressures remain elevated, thanks mainly to rising wages, the deteriorating demand environment is
curbing companies’ pricing power.”

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Aug 9 2023
UK ‘at risk of recession next year’, think tank warns | Business News

The UK is on course to experience five years of “lost” economic growth and is at risk of a recession next year, according to an economic think tank.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) said by 2024 income inequality will have grown, along with unemployment and levels of debt.

Researchers, writing in the think tank’s latest quarterly outlook, said “elevated housing, energy and food costs” would continue into next year, while gross domestic product (GDP) – a key indicator of a country’s economic output – would likely “barely grow”.

It said GDP was currently 0.5% below the level it was before the pandemic, and would not pass that level for another year – but also cautioned the outlook was “highly uncertain”.

“There are, in fact, even chances that GDP growth will contract by the end of 2023 and a roughly 60% risk of a recession at the end of 2024,” the think tank warned.

Its last forecast in February predicted that the UK would avoid a recession in 2022 – but said the strain from the cost of living crisis would make it “feel like” one.

Niesr’s outlook is more pessimistic than the Bank of England’s forecasts last week, which came as it raised the base rate for the 14th time in a row.

The Bank suggested a recession was unlikely in the coming years but did imply that the economy will effectively flatline all the way through to 2026.

Its chief economist, Huw Pill, also recently warned that food prices may not fall back to what they were prior to the war in Ukraine.

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On UK inflation, Niesr forecast that it will remain above the Bank’s 2% target until 2025, but said it could fall to 5.2% by the end of this year.

Real-terms wages in many UK regions are also expected to be below pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, according to the forecasts.

The poorest households will also experience a 17% shortfall in their disposable incomes in 2024 compared with five years earlier, while the richest households will only see a 5% drop, researchers predicted.

Professor Stephen Millard, Niesr’s deputy director for macroeconomic modelling and forecasting, said the “triple supply shock” of Brexit, the COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were major factors behind the dire economic outlook.

He said “the monetary tightening that has been necessary to bring inflation down” had also played a role.

Professor Millard added: “The need to address the UK’s poor growth performance remains the key challenge facing policy makers as we approach the next election.”

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Chancellor: ‘We recognise pain for families’

It comes after chancellor Jeremy Hunt said last week that he was working on plans to get the UK economy back on track.

He told Sky News: “What you’ll see from me in the autumn statement is a plan that shows how we break out of that low growth trap and make ourselves into one of the most entrepreneurial economies in the world.”

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Jun 5 2023
Kidney disease ‘could become public health emergency’ without more funding, charity warns | UK News

Kidney disease could become a public health emergency without more government funding, a charity has warned.

The illness already costs the UK economy £7bn a year, according to a new report by Kidney Research UK, and that could rise to £13.9bn in the next decade if no action is taken.

That covers the direct cost of treatment to the NHS, as well as money lost by those left unable to work.

The main factor which could drive up costs is an increase in demand for dialysis – a crucial treatment for patients who suffer kidney failure.

More than seven million people live with chronic kidney disease across the country, the charity estimates.

But that figure could rise, with people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and those who are obese most at risk.

The charity wants the government to commit £50m a year into kidney disease research – way up from the £17.7m its report says was provided in 2021-22.

NHS ‘risks being overwhelmed’

Kidney Research UK said the greater funding could be put towards developing better prevention strategies and treatment options, as well as earlier diagnosis.

Chief executive Sandra Currie said without it, the NHS “risks being overwhelmed with demand”.

“There is no cure for kidney disease, a transplant does not last a lifetime and dialysis patients face hours of gruelling treatment every week, taking them away from loved ones and making it harder to work,” she added.

“We know the only hope for stopping the growth of kidney disease and the increasing burden to the health system, the economy and to patients is better prevention strategies, earlier diagnosis and better treatment options, and yet kidney disease isn’t even included in NHS long-term strategic plans.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the government is “committed” to improving services for patients living with kidney disease.

“We fund research for all aspects of health, including research into kidney disease, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research,” they added.

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May 16 2023
Doctor warns price of baby formula is ‘national crisis’ – as Rishi Sunak suggests govt is doing enough to help | UK News

The price of baby formula is a “national crisis” which could have negative effects on the health of a child throughout its life, a doctor has said – as the prime minister suggested the government is doing enough to support families struggling to afford food.

Dr Vicky Thomas, a consultant paediatrician with a special interest in growth and nutrition, made the remarks after a Sky News report revealed parents have been stealing baby formula and turning to the black market as soaring prices drive them to desperation.

New data from First Steps Nutrition shows that the cost of the cheapest brand of formula milk has risen by 45% in the past two years.

Other brands have risen between 17% and 31% in that time period.

Dr Thomas has said if parents are struggling to afford formula for their infant it could be damaging to the child’s health for “the whole of the rest of their future”.

She said: “Nutrition in early infant life is absolutely key to your health.

“That’s when you lay down your good bacteria. That’s when your gut learns how to do what it needs to do.

“That’s when you build a healthy brain and healthy body.

“[Nutrition] is key to building a healthy body and it’s the body that the child is going to be using for the next eighty years or so.

“This is a national crisis.

“It should not be falling on individual parents, who have this guilt and shame, to have this worry.

“It’s a societal responsibility to raise a generation of healthy children.”

Two parents, who wished to remain anonymous, earlier told Sky News how they had resorted to shoplifting because they couldn’t afford formula.

Asked about the soaring cost of the product, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said today: “I know the cost of living is the number one challenge facing British families at the moment… With food in particular, which is of course something we want to help with, we’ve got to recognise right now there are challenges across Europe.

“We have particular support for young families, something called Healthy Start vouchers, which provide money to young families [to help] with the costs of fresh food.

“But also the Household Support Fund is £1bn that we’ve given to local councils.

“Families can go and talk to their council about getting that extra support.”

Read more:
What you can do if you’re struggling to buy baby formula
Desperate parents stealing baby formula to feed children

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Rishi Sunak reacts to baby formula theft

Despite Mr Sunak saying the government’s Healthy Start initiative is helping families, Rhiannon Evans, head of communications at the internet forum Mumsnet, has said the vouchers aren’t enough to cover baby formula.

She said: “I think part of the problem with the increase in the price is that even the cheapest brand of baby formula outstrips the value of the government’s Healthy Start vouchers.

“If those vouchers no longer cover the price, then they’re not really fit for purpose.”

Clare Murphy, the chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advice Service, added: “This is a scandal.

“People shouldn’t be facing these choices when they are simply trying to feed their baby safely… This shouldn’t be happening in 21st-century Britain.”

She continued: “It is appalling that we’re having this conversation that you are going out and finding these kind of stories.

“All these things that are happening are putting us on the brink of a public health crisis.”

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Apr 12 2023
SNP warns Electoral Commission over ‘difficulty’ in finding new auditors as deadline looms | Politics News

The SNP has warned the Electoral Commission of the “difficulty” it is having in finding new auditors after its previous firm resigned amid the controversy over the party’s finances.

The admission to the elections watchdog comes just months before a crunch deadline which requires political parties to submit their accounts to the agency by 7 July, or risk being fined.

The SNP is facing questions and accusations of secrecy over the timeline of the resignation of Johnston Carmichael, which was announced last week.

SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf said earlier on Tuesday they had quit “round about October” – months before the official announcement – but Sky News has now been told the auditors had in fact resigned a month earlier in September.

It is understood Johnston Carmichael informed the SNP in September 2022 that it would not be able to carry out the audit due for 2023 following a review of their client portfolio.

Junior doctors march to Downing Street on first day of industrial action – politics latest

The party then began approaching alternative firms in late 2022 to no avail, with the search intensifying in early 2023. As yet, the party has not been able to identify a firm with the available capacity.

Mr Yousaf raised eyebrows after he admitted he had also not been aware of Johnston Carmichael’s resignation last year, saying he could not “comment on what was done prior to me becoming a leader of the SNP”.

However, he agreed it was “extraordinary” that the party had failed to appoint a new set of auditors since they had resigned.

The struggle to find replacement auditors comes following the dramatic events of last week which prompted Johnston Carmichael to confirm it was no longer handling the SNP’s accounts.

Days before, Peter Murrell, the former party chief executive and Ms Sturgeon’s husband, was arrested and questioned by police investigating the party’s finances.

Mr Murrell, who had been in the role for 25 years, quit during the contest to find Ms Sturgeon’s successor after she unexpectedly announced her resignation.

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The SNP has been accused of hiding the fact that auditors stopped handling their accounts six months ago.

Last week he was questioned by Police Scotland as part of its investigation into the whereabouts of £600,000 of party donations earmarked for independence campaigning.

It is understood there have been complaints the ringfenced cash may have been used improperly by being spent elsewhere.

Mr Murrell was later released without charge “pending further investigation”.

Opposition parties said Mr Yousaf’s revelation about the timing of the auditors’ resignation raised further questions about who knew what about their finances.

Read more:
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf reveals SNP auditors resigned six months ago
First Minister Humza Yousaf says governance of SNP ‘was not as it should be’

MSP Jackson Carlaw, who was leader of the Scottish Conservatives from 2019 to 2020, tweeted: “Why did they hide it from the membership and the public? All very grubby and murky from the Nats. No wonder auditors resigned.”

Mr Yousaf, who was only elected leader just over two weeks ago, said one of the party’s “major priorities” was appointing new auditors “quickly”.

He said the SNP hopes to still have its accounts prepared in time to be submitted to the Electoral Commission in July, although he admitted it would be “problematic”.

An SNP spokesperson said: “We have informed the Electoral Commission of the difficulty in identifying replacement auditors and the national treasurer has made the party’s finance and audit committee aware.”

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Mar 9 2023
Anti-strikes law would ‘strip workers of unfair dismissal protections’, watchdog warns | Politics News

The anti-strikes bill could be in breach of international law and strip workers of unfair dismissal protections, the equalities watchdog has warned.

The government is facing renewed calls to drop the “nasty” Minimum Service Legislation (MSL) bill following a scathing report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

The EHRC said it is “concerned that an employee would lose automatic unfair dismissal protection” if they fail to comply with a notice ordering them to work on days of industrial action.

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The organisation warned staff could also be sacked if their trade union has failed to take reasonable steps to ensure minimum service levels are in place during a strike, as “they would not know” before participating in a walkout if that is the case or not.

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said: “The EHRC is right to warn that this draconian legislation could see striking workers losing a vital right – protection from unfair dismissal.

“The Conservatives are trying to keep people in the dark about the true nature of this legislation. But make no mistake – this bill is undemocratic, unworkable and almost certainly illegal.”

Mr Nowak accused the government of launching a “brazen attack” on workers’ rights which will likely “poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes rather than help resolve them”.

“It’s time for ministers to protect the fundamental right to strike and drop this nasty bill,” he said.

What does the anti-strikes bill mean?

Under the government’s draft Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, the right to strike would be restricted by imposing “minimum service levels”.

That means if the bill becomes law, some trade union members would be required to continue working during a strike.

The bill does not set out what the minimum service levels would be for each industry, but they could include maintaining core service provision in emergency services and ensuring key transport, travel and trade routes don’t completely shut down on strike days.

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What does the anti-strikes bill propose?

The government has argued the legislation is necessary to ensure minimum safety levels at a time of widespread industrial action.

But the plans have drawn backlash from unions and opposition MPs.

Critics say, thanks to the proposed changes, bosses would be legally able to fire employees who ignore a “work notice” ordering them to work on days of industrial action.

The EHRC contrasted this with similar laws in Italy, where “legislation provides that an individual cannot be dismissed for failing to comply with a Minimum Service Level agreement”.

It said the bill in its current form raises “several human rights considerations”, specifically in relation to Article 4 (Prohibition of Slavery and Forced Labour), Article 11 (Freedom of Assembly and Association) and Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The report also criticised ministers for failing to properly consult on the legislation with worker and employer organisations.

“It is not clear why this more collaborative approach – as practised in some states in Europe – was not pursued in the current bill,” the watchdog said.

Read More:
Anti-strike bill: The arguments and what it means for workers

The intervention comes days after the Joint Committee on Human Rights criticised the bill “for failing to meet human rights obligations”.

Last week, a House of Lords report also expressed concerns the bill would give ministers too much power while providing virtually no detail on what counts as minimum service.

There was a further backlash when the Regulatory Policy Committee, another independent watchdog, ruled the government’s impact assessment of the legislation was “not fit for purpose” in a damning report last month.

And in January, 50 civil liberty groups – including Oxfam and Human Rights Watch – warned the bill would allow “a further significant and unjustified intrusion by the state into the freedom of association and assembly”.

Sky News has contacted the government for comment.

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Mar 9 2023
EU warns UK immigration bill ‘violates international law’ as minister says ‘thousands’ of refugees could be sent to Rwanda | Politics News

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has suggested “thousands” of refugees could be sent to Rwanda under the government’s new plan to stop Channel crossings – despite no-one having been deported there since the beginning of the scheme last April

The Conservative MP told Sky News’ The Take with Sophy Ridge that the partnership with the east African nation is “uncapped” and “they are willing to take as many people as is required”.

The comments came as the EU joined the international backlash against the controversial Illegal Immigration Bill.

In an interview with Politico, European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said she had spoken to Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Tuesday “and I told her that I think that this is violating international law”.

The intervention risks reigniting hostilities with the EU as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak prepares to meet with his French counterpart to discuss his crackdown on asylum seekers.

The new legislation proposed by the government means refugees arriving on small boats in the UK will be detained and deported “within weeks” – either to their own country if it is safe or a third nation if it is not.

Charities, the UN and human rights groups have claimed the proposals aren’t legal while questions have also swirled about how it will work in practice.

While the government has return agreements with certain countries like Albania, it was put to Mr Jenrick that 4,500 people who arrived by small boat last year were from war-torn Syria “and you are not just going to pick up the phone to Assad are you?”.

He told Sky’s The Take with Sophy Ridge: “That’s the reason why we need safe third countries like Rwanda, and we want to get that arrangement up and running as soon as possible.”

The controversial deportation policy has been grounded by the courts since it was announced by former home secretary Priti Pratel last April

The government previously said the scheme will have an initial capacity for 200 people but Mr Jenrick insisted it will be “an unlimited arrangement” once flights take off.

“The scheme with Rwanda is uncapped so the Rwandan government, and we have spoken to them again this week, Rishi Sunak spoke to Paul Kagame, his opposite number, they are willing to take as many people as is required,” he said.

Mr Jenrick refused to put an estimate on how many people the government thinks it will need to send to the east African nation saying “it depends how many people are crossing the Channel at that time”.

But he added: “If it requires thousands of people to be sent to Rwanda, then we will send thousands of people to Rwanda”.

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Home Secretary: Plans won’t break the law

Earlier, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Sky News small boat crossings will “fall dramatically” under her asylum plans but could not say when removals will begin.

She said the government will be “expanding our detention capacity to meet the need very soon” but said “I’m not going to give precise dates” because “we’ve got logistical challenges that we’re always overcoming”.

The cabinet minister also insisted the plans are legal, despite acknowledging they may not be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Mr Sunak has acknowledged the legislation may come up against challenges in the courts but insisted his is “up for the fight”, branding critics like Sir Keir Starmer “leftie lawyers”.

The prime minister is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, where he is expected to be asked to boost payments to Paris stop small boat journeys.

Read more:
Is the Illegal Migration Bill legal?
Braverman accused of ‘cowardly attack’ on civil servants after letter blames them for inaction on small boat crossings

Mr Jenrick did not rule out additional funding, saying the government wants to increase the number of French patrols of the Channel and improve intelligence sharing.

He said: “What we are seeking to achieve is a number of things, one of which is more police officers on the beaches and the hinterland in northern France so that we can intercept as many of these boats as possible.

“We also want our intelligence services to be cooperating and working together in real time so that when we learn about what the criminal gangs are doing, we get that information to our French counterparts and they take action.”

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