Brexit leader Nigel Farage has declared that Rishi Sunak is the “biggest spinner” in Downing Street since Tony Blair after the prime minister attempted to claim success in stopping illegal boat migrants crossing the English Channel.
On Monday, Rishi Sunak made a surprise visit to Dover, the main landing point for people-smuggler boats, to herald his government’s alleged success in bringing down the numbers of illegal migrants, claiming that crossings of the Channel have fallen by 20 per cent compared to this time last year.
“Some said this problem was insoluble or just a fact of 21st century life. They lost faith in politicians to put in the hard yards to do something about it and of course we still have a long way to go but in the five months since I launched the plan, crossings are now down 20 percent compared to last year,” Sunak said in a press conference.
So far this year, there have been 7,610 illegals recorded as landing on British beaches, compared to 9,607 during the same time frame last year, according to the BBC. However, the vast majority of migrants cross during the Summer and early Autumn when weather conditions in the Channel improve.
The globalist Tory politician went on to claim that the reason for boat migration declining to the UK while increasing in the Mediterranean to Europe was the “result of actions” taken by his government.
Yet, the supposed success was disputed by Nigel Farage on his GB News programme, given the recent spate of heavy winds, which hinder the ability of people smugglers to launch their small rubber boats across the often treacherous waterway that separates France and England.
Mr Farage said that “to compare us with the Mediterranean is crazy,” adding that “for the last three and a half weeks, every single day we have had a North Easterly airflow coming through the Straits of Dover… their has only been a couple of days in the last three and a half weeks on which any boats at all would cross.”
The Brexiteer also took aim at the PM for choosing Monday for his surprise visit to the region, claiming that it was done cynically before the expected change in the weather later this week, which could once again prompt hundreds if not thousands more migrants crossing the calmer waters of the Channel.
“We’re told that problem has been solved. Rishi Sunak, who is the biggest spinner we’ve had as a prime minister since Tony Blair, cynically and deliberately chose today to go to Dover to tell you the numbers are down,” Farage said.
Addressing the PM, Farage continued: As you say numbers crossing the Mediterranean have risen sharply. That should worry you even more because guess what the number one destination for many of those people is going to be… it’s going to be right here.”