UK politics: Starmer unveils small boats plan as Sunak’s first Rwanda flights could take off in June

Keir Starmer has unveiled a counter-terror style small boats plan that will “replace gimmicks with graft” by scrapping the Rwanda scheme.

He has vowed to partly fund a new “elite” border unit as he set out his plans to stop small boats crossing the Channel.

In a speech at Dover, the Labour leader accused the Conservatives of operating a “Travelodge amnesty” by housing asylum-seekers in hotels rather than processing their claims.

He was accompanied by new Labour MP Natalie Elphicke, who has slammed the Tories approach on boats just days after defecting from the party.

Speaking about her admission, he said the move represents the “mood of the country” as Rishi Sunak is “clinging on by his fingernails” to power.

During the press conference, the opposition leader hasn’t ruled out letting Nigel Farage join the Labour Party.

It comes after as government lawyers have confirmed the first deportation flights as part of the Rwanda scheme could take off in June.

Key Points

• Keir Starmer ripped up Rwanda scheme and plans to use counter-terror laws to stop small boats

• First UK deportation flight ‘to take off in June'

• Natalie Elphicke apologises for comments in support of ex-husband

• Starmer denies Nigel Farage joining the Labour Party

• More Conservative MPs ‘wrestling with’ whether to join Labour, says Wes Streeting

• Labour face angry backlash over Tory defector’s ‘gaslighting’ women’s rights record

• Rishi Sunak ‘to blame’ for Conservative exodus, lone Tory mayor Ben Houchen says

First UK deportation flight ‘to take off in June'

15:54 , Salma Ouaguira

Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda scheme is set to fully materialise in a matter of weeks.

The first asylum seekers were originally set to be flown out of the ground in July.

But court documents have now revealed that flights could take off in June.

Government lawyers said: “In the prime minister’s press conference on 22 April he said the first flight would leave in 10 to 12 weeks. The 10th week after 22 April starts with the week commencing 24 June.

“We are instructed that this is the earliest possible date for the first removals and that the decision on the precise date will be based on operational considerations and progress over the coming weeks.”

18:23 , Jane Dalton

We are now putting our coverage of UK politics on hold for the night, resuming soon.

Comment: The economy climbs out of recession – but, hold on, there may be a catch…

18:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The strength of the UK’s emergence from recession came as a surprise even to the City – but, says James Moore, finally turning the corner makes a cut in interest rates less likely.

'Scottish independence can be delivered in five years,’ says John Swinney

17:40 , Salma Ouaguira

Scotland’s first Minister has told Sky News that the “answer” to their problems including the cost-of-living and Brexit.

When asked whether independence can happen in five years, Mr Swinney told the broadcaster: “I think independence can be delivered in that timescale because the arguments for it are compelling.

“If we look at two of the biggest issues we face as a country in Scotland: the effect of the cost of living and the implications of Brexit.

“Both of those major strategic factors that are doing severe economic and social damage to Scotland are because of bad decisions taken in Westminster, and independence is the answer to that.”

Rwanda flights could come as soon as June as Starmer slams Tory ‘gimmicks’

17:23 , Jane Dalton

The earliest possible date for flights to Rwanda is 24 June, government lawyers have told the High Court:

Rwanda flights could come as soon as June, court documents suggest

Labour ‘not interested in repatriating people', Starmer says

17:20 , Salma Ouaguira

Addressing the government’s Rwanda plan becoming law, Sir Keir said: “They will get flights off the ground – I don’t doubt that.”

He added that Mr Sunak is likely to get “a couple of hundred” migrants to Rwanda before the election “for party management”.

But, asked by The Independent what would happen to those deported to Rwanda in the coming months once Labour scrapped the plan, he said Labour was “not interested in repatriating people”.

Starmer will stop Rwanda flights right after general election

17:05 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer has told Sky News he will act fast and cancel Rishi’s deportation flights to Rwanda as soon as he wins the general election.

If he gets elected, the opposition leader said he will stop them even if “they carry with it “a cheque” to the African government.

He added: “Every flight that takes off carries with it a cheque to the Rwanda government.

“So I want to scrap the scheme - so that means the flights won’t be going.”

Labour will stop Rwanda deportation flights, Starmer promises

16:46 , Salma Ouaguira

While Rishi Sunak sets up a date to fly asylum seekers out of the country, Keir Starmer said he will scrap it all together if he is crowned Primer Minister.

During the Dover conference, the Labour leader promised voters: “We will scrap the Rwanda scheme.

“I said that to you when we last met last week, the time before last and you know, that means ending the scheme. Absolutely. Flights and all.”

In full: Jeremy Hunt admits Conservative MPs ‘losing their nerve’ after Ephicke defection

16:34 , Salma Ouaguira

Westminster was stunned this week with the shock defection of Tory MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour.

The move added to Rishi Sunak’s woes just days after he appeared to see off Tory rebels keen to oust him, after bruising devastating local election results.

Ben Houchen, the Tory Mayor of the Tees Valley, has also urged Mr Sunak to get a grip of his party as he warned the “public do not vote for parties who are not united”.

Asked about both Lord Houchen’s comments and Ms Elphicke’s defection said: “What he (Houchen) said was divided parties don’t win elections and we need to pull together as a Conservative Party.

“I think that when you see we are behind in the polls, unfortunately some colleagues do lose their nerve.”

Labour accuse Rishi Sunak of ‘out of touch victory lap’ after UK exits recession

16:24 , Salma Ouaguira

Mr Sunak claimed that “things are starting to feel better” hours after figures showed the economy had grown by 0.6 per cent over the first three months of this year, Kate Devlin writes.

But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper labelled the Conservatives as “out of touch” for celebrating.

Click here to read the full story

Starmer’s stance on Rwanda ‘rank hypocrisy’ says Rishi Sunak

16:08 , Salma Ouaguira

The Prime Minister has said Sir Keir Starmer hasn’t announced anything new.

He added: “Punching through the backlog, having more law enforcement officers do more, that’s all happening already”.

“We’ve announced all of that more than a year ago,” the prime minister adds.

“The question for Keir Starmer if he cares so much about that, why did he vote against the new laws that we passed to give our law enforcement officers new powers?

“They’ve now used those to arrest almost 8,000 people connected with illegal migration, sentenced them to hundreds of years in prison.

“And if it was up to him, all those people would be out on our streets, so I think it’s rank hypocrisy property of his position.”

Let’s recap...

15:44 , Salma Ouaguira

If you’re joining us now here’s what you’ve missed:

• Sir Keir Starmer has outlined a plan to curve small boats crossings and crack down on people smugglers.

• The Labour leader has promised to totally scrap the Rwanda deportation scheme as it is a “gimmick”.

• During the press conference in Dover Starmer hasn’t ruled out accepting far-right politician Nigel Farage into the party.

• The Tories have clapped back at Labour with an MP slamming the plan as “already being done”.

What are the polls saying?

15:34 , Salma Ouaguira

The Tories have lost ground after a disastrous local election.

Labour is leading the way with 44 points, according to a poll from today.

Refugee Council calls for a ‘fair’ asylum system

15:24 , Salma Ouaguira

The Refugee Council, which provides support to asylum seekers, has urged the government to tackle applicants waiting in limbo to be processed.

CEO of the Refugee Council Enver Solomon said:“Whoever is in government must focus beyond anything else on running a fair and effective asylum system that actually processes people’s claims.

“The current system is in meltdown, with thousands of people shut out of the asylum process and living in indefinite limbo.

“Men, women and children from countries such as Afghanistan and Syria with clear protection needs face endless uncertainty, while those whose claims have been refused are not being supported to return to the countries from which they came.”

Dominic Cummings plans to replace the Tories

15:01 , Salma Ouaguira

Beyond defections and seat losses, the Tories have a another problem to worry about.

Former advisor to Boris Johnson Dominic Cummins has unveiled a ‘Start-Up Party’ that could rival the Conservative Party.

The anti-establishment party leader has been organising focus groups to explore voter’s views.

He previously said he wants the party to be “credibly anti-insider” to “replace the Tories”.

Watch: Government’s ‘failed’ asylum system offers false hope to migrants, says Starmer

14:40 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer said the UK’s failed asylum system has turned refugee camps into a “job-centre for modern slavery” as he outlined Labour’s plan to stop small boat crossings on Friday 10 May.

The Labour leader delivered a speech on the Kent coast in which he attacked the government’s current approach as “rank incompetence” and dismissed the Rwanda scheme.

Sir Keir also recalled a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Calais in 2016 and described the situation as a “monumental failure”.

“People had been brutally let down,” he said.

“Not just in terms of the truly awful conditions but also because the failure of our asylum system had encouraged a false hope.”

In full: Keir Starmer attacks ‘unquenchable Tory thirst for gimmicks’

14:25 , Salma Ouaguira

The Labour leader attacked Rishi Sunak’s approach to the small boats crisis as ‘gimmicks, not serious government’ and set out the party’s own plans to crack down on people smugglers.

He promised “a new politics” on everything from small boat crossings to the economy, saying: “The character of politics will change, and through that, we will deliver higher growth, safer streets, an NHS back on its feet, more opportunity in your community, cheaper bills in your home, and secure borders for our nation.”

Click here for the full story

Politics explained: How ‘The Independent’ killed off Nadhim Zahawi’s political ambitions

14:15 , Salma Ouaguira

The ‘boy from Baghdad’ believed he could be prime minister, says Sean O’Grady.

But his announcement that he is to step down at the general election puts an end to that dream.

His departure from Westminster life, thanks in part to our investigation of his tax affairs, will remain an instructive political fable.

Click here to read the full analysis

Natalie Elphicke still getting ‘punches’ despite apology

13:58 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour MP Jess Philipps has said Natalie Elphicke’s defection was “like being punched in the gut”.

The former Tory MP ignited a huge wave of backlash after comments defending her ex-husband emerged.

Jess says the apology was “an absolute start, but is also a bare minimum”.

She added: “I’m going to give her a chance to talk to me personally. There is a part of that statement about abuse and harm that he caused to her as well.

“I’m not saying that to excuse her. I am saying that because I think that she provides us with a lesson of how we could actually prevent this going forward and have some sort of cultural shift.

“So I don’t excuse her and I will give her, like I would with any woman, I will give her a fair chance.”

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper hits back at Cleverly

13:48 , Salma Ouaguira

Earlier today James Cleverly posted a statement slamming Keir Starmer for his approach on small boats crossings.

He posted the comment with a snap of an FT article titled “Yvette Cooper urges ‘immoral’ UK to take 10,000 refugees”.

The shadow Home Secretary has now clapped back.

Meanwhile in Scotland...

13:38 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour small boat crossing plan ‘absolute joke' says Chancellor

13:28 , Salma Ouaguira

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has slammed Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to curve small boat crossings.

Speaking on LBC, he said: “I mean, you know what they want to do is they want to cancel the Rwanda policy.

“That we are now seeing beginning to work because we’re getting reports from people in Ireland saying they don’t want to come to the UK because of the risk of being flown to Rwanda.”

‘Elphicke said UK should open fire on the French if they don’t accept returned small boats,’ Tory MP says

13:14 , Salma Ouaguira

Tory MP Michael Fabricant revealed he spoke with Ms Elphicke at a Christmas event in which she said the Royal Navy should “open fire” on the French Navy if they do not accept small boats being returned.

He adds that Ms Elphicke wanted to see small boats being “nudged back”.

Speaking about her defection to Labour, Mr Fabricant said it was “amazing” to see her alongside Sir Keir Starmer.

And that Ms Elphicke isn’t a “good fit” in the Labour Party - and that she “wasn’t a good fit in the Conservative Party either”, he said.

Starmer’s plan ‘already being done,’ Tory MP says

12:54 , Salma Ouaguira

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said Sir Keir Starmer’s plan top stop small boat crossings is nothing new.

He said all his promises “are things that the government and other agencies are already doing”.

Sir Keir Starmer’s plan will ‘protect human rights’

12:45 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour’s immigration policy would “align with global rules that protect individual human rights,” Sir Keir Starmer said.

He added: “Our rules-based system should align with global rules that protect individual human rights.

“That is in our interests and the right thing to do.”

Elphicke says Tories ‘cannot be trusted’ days after defecting from party

12:35 , Archie Mitchell

Ex-Tory MP Natalie Elphicke has said Rishi Sunak “failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted” only two days after leaving the Conservative Party.

In a savage attack on her former boss, the Dover MP said: “Nowhere is Rishi Sunak’s lack of delivery clearer than on small boats.

“We are failing to keep our borders safe and secure, lives are being lost in the English Channel while small boat arrivals are once again at record levels.

“It is clear that Rishi Sunak has failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted.”

Introducing Sir Keir Starmer ahead of a speech on border security, Ms Elphicke said “a fresh approach is needed” under the Labour Party.

She said Sir Keir would build a Britain of “hope, optimism, opportunity and fairness” that “everyone can be part of”.

In pictures: Sir Keir Starmer’s small boats crossings speech

12:22 , Salma Ouaguira

Meanwhile in Downing Street...

12:46 , Salma Ouaguira

Rishi Sunak has slammed pro-Palestinian protests and boycott calls over Israel’s Eurovision appearance.

Downing Street said the prime minister urged demonstrators to consider the feelings of Israelis and Jewish Eurovision fans watching the scenes “in the aftermath of what was an atrocious terror attack and while hostages are still being held by Hamas”.

Click here to read the full story

A day before Starmer’s promises, hundreds crossed the English Channel

12:06 , Salma Ouaguira

Provisional figures from the Home Office revealed 211 people were detected crossing the Channel on Thursday.

Figures show cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2024 now stands at a provisional total of 9,037.

This is 35% higher than the total at this point last year, which was 6,691, and 16% higher than the total at this stage in 2022, which was 7,801.

Three boats were detected on Thursday, which suggests an average of around 70 people per boat.

There were 29,437 arrivals across the whole of 2023, down 36% on a record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

In context: Starmer says Rwanda scheme costs taxpayers billions

11:46 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer has criticised Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation scheme for costing taxpayers “billions”.

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

• The government initially committed £290 million to the troubled scheme.

• According to the National Audit Office (NAO), there will be millions more in spending, including £11,000 for each migrant’s plane ticket.

• While Rwanda will get £20,000 for each asylum seeker relocated there and a £120 million top-up once 300 have arrived.

Read James Cleverly’s statement in full

11:34 , Salma Ouaguira

In a statement, Mr Cleverly says: “Labour have no plan to stop the boats.

“Labour have an illegal immigration amnesty, Labour blocked of the deportation of violent sexual offenders and Labour voted over 130 times against tougher legislation to stop the boats.

“They will create a haven for criminal gangs, not stop them. Even Labour MPs are saying Labour can’t be trusted to stop the boats which shows you nothing will change.

“If people can apply for asylum from outside the UK then unlimited claims can be made, many of which will have to be accepted under the law and even then, many of those declined will then get on a small boat anyway.

“Labour’s announcement would make the UK the asylum capital of the world.”

‘Labour will make UK’s asylum capital of the world,’ Home Secretary says

11:32 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer has hit hard on the Conservative’s Rwanda scheme dubbing it “an insult to intelligence”.

But just minutes after his speech, where he set out his small boat crossings plan, the Tories have clapped back.

Home Secretary James Cleverly says Labour’s system “would make the UK the asylum capital of the world.”

Watch: Sir Keir Starmer’s small boat crossings speech in full

11:26 , Salma Ouaguira

Watch Sir Keir Starmer‘s speech on Labour’s small boat policy from Dover today.

Labour will use new counter-terrorism powers to tackle people-smuggling gangs bringing migrants across the Channel, Sir Keir announced.

In full: Rwanda policy is not a deterrent to illegal immigration, Starmer says

11:24 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer said the Rwanda policy is not a deterrent to illegal immigration.

But processing claims and sending people back to their countries of origin is.

He said: “Stopping the gangs getting people in boats is the most effective deterrent because you can’t actually make the crossing to get here.

“The biggest deterrent is that it’s a pointless exercise and you go back where you started.”

Sir Keir said he would get rid of the Rwanda policy immediately and that some aspects of scrapping it require legislation and some do not.

There will be a “fast timetable to get this off the ground,” he said.

In full: Starmer says Elphicke’s defection represents mood of the country

11:13 , Salma Ouaguira

During his speech in Dover, Sir Keir Starmer was asked whether he was concerned about the backlash from within the Labour Party.

He responded: “This is a very important and significant crossing of floor for reasons Natalie set out.

“I think anyone reading the words she set out this morning would be persuaded this is a very significant thing, you’ve got a Tory party that is losing votes, losing MPs, losing councillors, losing mayors across the country.

“It’s a Conservative Party that is on its last legs, it’s out of road, out of ideas, and that is why I genuinely think the mood of the country and Natalie has picked up on this, is for change and a general election.

No one can understand why Rishi Sunak is “clinging on by his fingernails” to power, he said.

Sir Keir Starmer’s speech on small boats has ended

11:06 , Salma Ouaguira

If you’ve just joined us now here’s a quick summary of what happened:

• Sir Keir Starmer said he does not doubt the Government will get flights running to Rwanda but said the flagship deportation policy would not work as he insisted “our asylum system must be rebuilt”.

• He aid Labour will end the Rwanda policy permanently and establish a border security command that will be an “elite force, not a Cinderella service”.

• The Labour leader added turning a blind eye to people smuggling was “not a progressive or compassionate position” as he outlined his plans to tackle small boat crossings.

On returning to countries of origin

10:51 , Salma Ouaguira

Starmer says: “It is perfectly possible possible to return people to the country of origin rather than the EU.”

But he clarifies Labour will not be returning to the European Union.

Deal with the Taliban?

10:50 , Salma Ouaguira

A reporter from the Exrpress asks about whether Keir Starmer will be working with the Taliban.

Poeple who came from Afghanistan are escaping from the Taliban to “find safety”, Starmer responds.

He adds:“But we shouldn’t overestimate the difficulty here.”

Watch: Government’s ‘failed’ asylum system offers false hope to migrants, says Starmer

10:46 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer said the UK’s failed asylum system has turned refugee camps into a “job-centre for modern slavery” as he outlined Labour’s plan to stop small boat crossings on Friday 10 May.

The Labour leader delivered a speech on the Kent coast in which he attacked the government’s current approach as “rank incompetence” and dismissed the Rwanda scheme.

Sir Keir also recalled a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Calais in 2016 and described the situation as a “monumental failure”.

“People had been brutally let down,” he said.

“Not just in terms of the truly awful conditions but also because the failure of our asylum system had encouraged a false hope.”

‘I’m not going to flog a dead horse’, Starmer says

10:43 , Salma Ouaguira

If he wasn’t clear enough, Starmer vows the Rwanda scheme will be totally scrapped.

He says it is a gimmick that costs tax payers millions.

Nigel Farage joining Labour?

10:40 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer denies Nigel Farage joining the Labour Party.

He said that the former UKIP leader is “the last person who’d want to join the Labour Party” and a “list of names doesn’t help anyone”.

With Westminster just recovering from the lates defection, that would be the last straw for Labour MPs already furious about Elphicke joining.

Starmer says Rwanda bill is an ‘insult to anyone’s intelligence'

10:38 , Tom Barnes

He said: “A scheme that will remove less than 1% of arrivals from small boat crossings a year can not and never will be an effective deterrent.

“It’s an insult to anyone’s intelligence and the gangs that run this sick trade are not easily fooled.”

The Labour leader is taking questions from the press

10:36 , Salma Ouaguira

Starmer is asked about not recreating the Rwanda scheme.

He replies it is not “compassionate” to allow those perilous journeys.

He vows to tackle people smugglers as his top priority.

He adds: “We will scrap the Rwanda scheme, It is not going to work, it is an absolute waste of money.”

‘An end to the chaos,’ Starmer vows

10:33 , Salma Ouaguira

Concluding the speech, Starmer says: “No more gimmicks.

“The character of politics will change and through that, we will deliver higher growth, safer streets, an NHS back on its feet, more opportunity in your community, cheaper bills in your home, and secure borders for our nation.

“An asylum system – rebuilt. The criminal gangs – smashed. The exploitation of some of the most vulnerable people in the world – prevented.An end to the chaos. A turning of the page. A politics returned to service, and a careful, patient, determined renewal of our country with Labour. “That is the future you can choose. That is what serious government can deliver.”

‘Politics will change,’ Starmer says

10:32 , Salma Ouaguira

Starmer promises to turn the tables and improve the status quo if he gets the keys of Downing Street.

Addressing voters he says: “If I am elected to serve this country, if I earn that privilege, I will turn the page on Westminster’s ‘talk tough do nothing culture’”

‘Politics of practical solutions’

10:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Starmer says: “A question: can you prioritise, at all times, the politics of practical solutions, and can you reject the politics of performative symbols, the gimmicks and gestures.

“This is the story of what has happened to the Government, the explanation of how a party that cares about illegal migration – there’s no doubt about that - finds itself with a record of failure as total and stark as this.”

Plans will face resistance, says Labour leader

10:29 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer admits the plans, which promise to improve the current system, will be hit by backlash.

He proceeds: “These plans will be fiercely resisted, of course they will. That is par for the course on this issue.

“I have no doubt that the British people fully support a rules-based asylum system.

“No doubt that the fair-minded majority want a system that can secure Britain’s borders and uphold this country’s fine tradition of providing sanctuary for people fleeing persecution.”

Like hotel California: ‘never leaving’

10:28 , Salma Ouaguira

Starmer claims 100,000 people are currently in permanent backlog.

He says: “Even if they have absolutely no right to be here – they cannot be removed -billing the taxpayer for expensive hotel accommodation.

“Because like Hotel California, there is no prospect of ever leaving and no prospect of a decision for or against.”

A ‘Tory short-cut,’ Starmer criticises Rwanda

10:25 , Salma Ouaguira

He says: “So it’s not hard to see why the Prime Minister might want a path to deterrence, without the hard graft – the boring graft perhaps -of fixing the wider system.

“But I’m afraid, like so much of what he says these days, it’s magical thinking, a symbol of an unquenchable Tory desire for the short-cut.

“The easy-fix, the sticking plaster, gimmicks not serious government.”

‘We will find you and we will stop you,’ Starmer says

10:24 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer says shores will become hostile territory for people smugglers.

He slams: “We will find you, we will stop you, we will protect your victims, and with Border Security Command, we will secure Britain’s borders.”

People smugglers will be treated like terrorists

10:22 , Salma Ouaguira

Starmer says: “That means new powers that, as with would-be terrorists, can be used pre conviction with High Court approval and that can limit the ability of the gangs to conduct their vile business – before arrest.

“Powers that will allow us to shut off internet access, close their bank accounts, trace their movements – using information provided by the intelligence services.

“Or powers like stop and search at the border. Or raiding and seizing evidence - before an offence has taken place.”

Further Europe partnership will be back

10:21 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer says: “We can co-operate across borders, that’s not some kind of weakness, it’s absolutely essential. These criminals do not respect national boundaries.

“When I was at the Crown Prosecution Service we had prosecutors posted in Pakistan working on counter-terrorism operations. In the Caribbeanon smuggling.

“In West Africa, disrupting the flow of drugs coming from South America on their way to Europe and ultimately to Britain.”

‘Not a Cinderella service'

10:20 , Salma Ouaguira

Starmer will hire front-line defence to tackle people smuggling.

• Border Security Command will bring together hundreds of specialist investigators. The best of the best.

• Workforce will include the National Crime Agency, the Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, The Crown Prosecution Service, and MI5.

Starmer sets out the plan

10:18 , Salma Ouaguira

He says: “Britain can do better. Labour will do better. We will end this farce.

“We will restore serious government to our borders, tackle this problem, at source, and replace the Rwanda policy permanently.”

Rwanda scheme is a ‘gimmick’, Starmer says

10:16 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer says: “But the question this record must raise is whether the latest gimmick, the Prime Minister’s Rwanda scheme, can really be taken as a serious solution to this important challenge? I don’t think so.

“They will get flights off the ground – I don’t doubt that. But I also don’t doubt – that this will not work.

“A policy that will see just a few hundred people a year removed to Rwanda, less than one per cent of the people who cross the sea in small boats every year, less than one per cent – for six hundred million pounds... that is neither an effective deterrent or a good use of your money.”

Starmer splashes figures

10:15 , Salma Ouaguira

He says: “Over 8,000 people have made the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats this year. On track to surpass the record set in 2022.”

‘Asylum system must be rebuild'

10:14 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer adds: “This problem must be tackled.

“These gangs must be stopped, our asylum system must be rebuilt, our borders must be secured.”

‘Children are dying in our waters,’ Starmer says

10:13 , Salma Ouaguira

He said: “The children dying in our waters. Just three weeks ago – a seven year old girl... That all remains.

“So no matter how good anyone thinks their intentions are, turning a blind-eye to this business, not understanding how important a rules-based asylum system is for tackling that exploitation, for removing the criminal business-model if you like - that is not a progressive and compassionate position, it is the complete opposite of a progressive and compassionate position.”

Starmer was in the Calais refugee camps in 2016

10:12 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer was left “profoundly depressed” by the state of the refugee camps.

He added: “The ground was sodden with mud and human waste. I saw the children there – the same age as my own, huddling together in flimsy tents that offered almost nothing in the way of warmth.”

‘Gravest challenge we face as a nation,’ Starmer says

10:10 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer said: “Tackling organised crime is always hard, especially across borders. I know that from my work at the Crown Prosecution Service, on drug smuggling or counter-terrorism operations.

“And let’s be clear at the start – this is a criminal enterprisewe are dealing with.

“A business that pits nation against nation, that thrives in the grey areas of our rules - the cracks between our institutions, where, they believe, they can exploit some of the most vulnerable people in the world with impunity.

“A vile trade - that preys on the desperation and hope it finds in its victims. The common humanity that ultimately it seeks to extinguish.”

Sir Keir Starmer is here

10:08 , Salma Ouaguira

The Labour leader is addressing the crowd.

He welcomes Natalie Elphicke to the Labour Party, despite the backlash he received in the last days.

‘We cannot let them get away with it,’ Shadow Home Secretary says

10:07 , Salma Ouaguira

The Shadow Home Secretary vows to go hard on people smugglers.

She calls them “terrorists” and promises to make use of terrorism policies to stop them.

Natalie Elphicke takes the stand first

10:03 , Salma Ouaguira

The new Labour MP has a fresh new look behind the red wall.

She said the party she once called her own “cannot be trusted”.

Sir Keir Starmer is set to speak shortly

10:02 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer is accompanied by Natalie Elphicke in Dover.

This is the first time Natalie Elphicke speaks alongside the opposition leader as Labour MP.

The Labour leader is unveiling the party’s plan to tackle small boats crossing.

‘Limbo land is not a safe country,’ says Lib Dem Baroness Hamwee

09:49 , Salma Ouaguira

While we wait for Starmer to start his speech on small boat crossings, the House of Lords is debating about the UK Asylum System.

Liberal Democrat Baroness Hamwee has criticised the current system in place to process migrants.

She claimed people cannot be assessed without taking into account their individual situations and background.

Speaking about people waiting long periods to be granted asylum, the Baroness slammed: “Limbo land is not a safe country.”

Lowering migration is Labour’s top priority, says shadow Home Secretary

09:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Labour believes net migration should be lower.

To achieve that, the party intends to scrap the rule which allows employers to pay overseas workers 20% less, and instead allocate resources to training and skills programmes in the UK.

Talking to GB News, she said: “We believe that net migration should come down.

“The UK has always benefited from people coming from abroad to set up businesses or provide international talent, but to have this huge increase in work visas, we think, is the wrong approach.”

Small boats crossings in numbers

09:16 , Salma Ouaguira

According to official figures, 6,265 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since 2024.

That rose by nearly a quarter compared to the same period a year before.

If we look at asylum seekers, the UK received more than 84,000 applications in 2023.

And it is estimated at least 72 migrants are thought to have drowned in the sea since 2018.

Starmer under pressure as extreme migration policies are ‘deadly towards migrants’, says expert

09:07 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer is on his way to Dover ready to deliver the long-waited speech on small boat crossings.

But the Labour leader is facing pressure from all sides to avoid mistakes of the past which could put people at risk.

Keeping the status quo could develop “even more extreme policies that are deadly towards migrants,” researcher Zoe Jardiniere told LBC.

She added: “If Labour doesn’t give those people an answer, then we’re going to end up in the same position.”

The ‘Natalie Elphicke effect'

08:52 , Salma Ouaguira

While Westminster is still recovering from Natalie Elphicke’s defection, the dramatic move has had its own effect on the polls.

The defection has boosted Labour’s poll lead by two points in just a week.

According to Techne UK’s weekly tracker poll, Labour’s support among those who would vote rose to 45 percent (up 1).

The Tories’s dropped a point to 21 percent giving Sir Keir Starmer a commanding 24-point lead.

What can we expect from Sir Keir Starmer’s small boats plan?

08:39 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer is set to unveil a plan that could replace the Conservative’s Rwanda bill.

In a highly anticipated speech in Dover, he will accuse the Tories of leaving tens of thousands of migrants hanging in the backlog.

As part of his plan, he is tackling people smugglers by imposing anti terror laws.

If the opposition leader gets the keys of Downing Street, he will create a Border Security Command Unit hiring hundreds of MI5 officers.

The Labour leader is expected to speak alongside Dover MP Natalie Elphicke who is debuting since her defection from the Tories.

In case you’ve missed it

08:25 , Salma Ouaguira

Good morning and welcome to the Independent’s politics blog.

Here are our top stories from today:

• Labour is talking to more Tory MPs who are considering to defect.

• The UK economy has bounced back from recession with a 0.6% growth, according to official figures.

• Sir Keir Starmer is expected to give a speech about small boats crossings today.

Hunt claims Labour’s small boats plans are ‘an absolute joke’

08:22 , Andy Gregory

Jeremy Hunt has claimed Labour’s plans to tackle small boat crossings are “an absolute joke”.

Yvette Cooper welcomes Natalie Elphicke’s defection to Labour

08:21 , Andy Gregory

Labour’s shadow home secretary has welcomed Natalie Elphicke’s defection and accepted the MP for Dover’s apology over controversial comments.

Yvette Cooper told Times Radio: “We welcome people coming to join the Labour Party and changing their views on issues. We hope this will happen across the country.”

She added: “Look, Natalie Elphicke has rightly apologised for the things that she has said and she has also condemned the behaviour of her ex-husband, both towards other women and towards her.”

Ms Elphicke previously said her ex-husband, Charlie Elphicke, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women in 2020, was an “easy target” for false allegations because he was “attractive”.

Labour’s small boats plans ‘welcome’ but ‘more of the same’, says ex-chief inspector of borders

08:17 , Andy Gregory

Labour’s proposals to stem small boats crossing the Channel are “welcome” but to some degree are “more of the same”, the former chief inspector of borders John Vine has said.

“It’s a welcome proposal but to some degree it’s more of the same,” he told LBC, adding: “There’s no magic bullet, I’m afraid.

“It’s a combination of tough enforcement, which is what Labour’s proposing. We need to have a really, really intense combined effort on both sides of the Channel ... and it won’t be just tackled by reorganising the way we operate in the Home Office.”

Interest rate cut would be ‘massive relief’ for mortgage-holders, says Hunt

08:13 , Andy Gregory

Jeremy Hunt has said an interest rate cut this year would be “a massive relief” for mortgage-holders.

“I wouldn’t like to predict an exact time but the Bank of England governor says he is optimistic that we are on the right track and it would be a massive relief for families with mortgages if we can bring them down. So I hope that turns out to be the case,” the chancellor told LBC.

Natalie Elphicke defection 'like being punched in the gut', says Jess Philips

07:40 , Andy Gregory

Jess Phillips has said that seeing Natalie Elphicke cross the parliamentary chamber to join the Labour Party felt “like being punched in the gut”.

The former shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding told Sky News’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast that the Labour leadership should have handled the defection of Ms Elphickle “in a way that was slightly more sensitive to those of us who speak up on these particular issues”.

Starmer faces demands to reinstate Diane Abbott

07:00 , Jane Dalton

Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to let MP Diane Abbott back into Labour as anger mounts over the shock defection to the party of Natalie Elphicke, a controversial right-wing Conservative who has continually attacked his party over its policies on immigration.

Starmer faces demands to reinstate Abbott after welcoming ‘right-wing MP’ into Labour

Pro-Trump think tank tells Sunak to take US diplomacy lessons from David Lammy

05:00 , Jane Dalton

A right-wing British think tank that supports Donald Trump has praised David Lammy for his US diplomacy:

Pro-Trump thinktank tells Sunak to take US diplomacy lessons from David Lammy

Brexit may bar Brits from Gibraltar, warn MPs

03:45 , Jane Dalton

Brexiteers on a parliamentary committee have warned that British citzens and Nato personnel could be blocked by the EU from entering Gibraltar if “the Rock” goes ahead with a post-Brexit settlement:

MPs warn that Brits could be blocked from entering Gibraltar because of Brexit deal

Why Nadhim Zahawi is stepping down

02:15 , Jane Dalton

Sean O’Grady looks at what went wrong for the former chancellor:

Why has Nadhim Zahawi decided to join the list of Tories planning to stand down?

Press watchdog rejects complaint by Tory ex-MP

Friday 10 May 2024 00:45 , Jane Dalton

A former Conservative MP caught in a newspaper sting in a gambling lobby scandal has had a complaint to the press regulator rejected.

Scott Benton, who had represented Blackpool South, was filmed by reporters from The Times offering to lobby ministers and table parliamentary questions on behalf of gambling investors.

Mr Benton complained that an article last April breached Clause 10 of the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s (Ipso) Editors’ Code, which says journalists cannot use subterfuge unless acting in the public interest.

The MP said there was no public interest in the story because it did not expose wrongdoing, and he also complained that the journalists had asked leading questions.

The Times said if an MP was not acting with “selflessness, integrity, accountability and openness”, the public had a right to know.

It also said that the journalists’ line of questioning was “reasonable and in line with the public interest served”.

The regulator did not uphold Mr Benton’s complaint, saying: “Given that the investigation had the potential to expose an MP - an individual who represents the interests of the public - breaching parliamentary rules, there was a clear public interest in seeking to verify the claims made by sources.

“The Public Interest portion of the Editors’ Code explicitly references exposing serious impropriety, and raising or contributing to a matter of public debate, including serious cases of impropriety, unethical conduct or incompetence concerning the public.”

Mr Benton was caught on camera telling undercover reporters posing as investors that he was willing to take actions that would break Parliament’s lobbying rules.

‘Rishi Sunak has failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted,’ former Tory MP Natalie Elphicke

12:12 , Archie Mitchell

Ex-Tory MP Natalie Elphicke has said Rishi Sunak “failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted”.

In a savage attack on her former boss, the Dover MP said: “Nowhere is Rishi Sunak’s lack of delivery clearer than on small boats.

“We are failing to keep our borders safe and secure, lives are being lost in the English Channel while small boat arrivals are once again at record levels.

“It is clear that Rishi Sunak has failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted.”

Introducing Sir Keir Starmer ahead of a speech on border security, Ms Elphicke said “a fresh approach is needed” under the Labour Party.

She said Sir Keir would build a Britain of “hope, optimism, opportunity and fairness” that “everyone can be part of”.

Accepting Elphicke remarkable, says minister

Thursday 9 May 2024 23:30 , Jane Dalton

A minister says Sir Keir Starmer’s acceptance of Natalie Elphicke as a Labour MP is remarkable when the party “has no room” for Jeremy Corbyn or Diane Abbott.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat told Sky News’s Politics Hub: “He’s got a party that has Zarah Sultana on one side and Natalie Elphicke on the other but has no room for the guy he wanted to put into No 10 only a few years ago, Jeremy Corbyn, or Diane Abbott, who’s been campaigning for the Labour movement for what is it, 20 or 30 years? It’s a remarkable thing.”

He added: “And I like Keir, he’s a decent guy, but I have no idea what he stands for.”

Starmer to promise new anti-terror measures to tackle small boat gangs

Thursday 9 May 2024 22:30 , Jane Dalton

Labour will use new counter-terrorism powers to tackle people-smuggling gangs bringing migrants across the Channel in small boats, Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce on Friday.

In a speech on the Kent coast, the party leader will set out his plans to tackle the small boats crisis if it wins the general election.

Sir Keir is expected to say Labour will “replace gimmicks with graft”, scrapping the government’s Rwanda scheme and using some of the money saved to fund a new “elite Border Security Command” led by a former police, military or intelligence chief.

Attacking the government’s approach as “rank incompetence”, he is expected to accuse the Conservatives of operating a “Travelodge amnesty” by housing migrants in hotels rather than processing their claims.

Among the measures to be proposed by Sir Keir are new border-control stop-and-searches, building on powers created in 2000 by the Terrorism Act, along with new financial investigation powers and search and seizure warrants targeting organised immigration crime.

The new Border Security Command would bring together agencies including the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and MI5, while Labour will also pledge to hire hundreds of new specialist investigators to work across the UK and Europe to tackle people smuggling.

Sir Keir will also stress his experience as the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service and pledge to make Britain “hostile territory” for people-smugglers.

He will say: “A business that pits nation against nation, thrives in the grey areas of our rules, the cracks between our institutions, where, they believe, they can exploit some of the most vulnerable people in the world with impunity.

“It’s a vile trade that preys on the desperation and hope it finds in its victims.”

Pay top civil servants more, says think tank

Thursday 9 May 2024 21:30 , Jane Dalton

Civil servants should be paid more to attract the best talent to Whitehall, and the outdated process of appointments is too easily “gamed”, according to research by a leading think tank.

Calls for civil servants to be paid more and appointments process modernised

Headache for Starmer as pro-Gaza professor challenges top Labour MP

Thursday 9 May 2024 20:30 , Jane Dalton

Exclusive: A pro-Palestinian candidate is running against shadow veterans minister Steve McCabe in Birmingham Selly Oak, which has a significant Muslim population:

Headache for Starmer as pro-Gaza professor launches campaign against top Labour MP

Sunak must allow visit from UN food inspector, charities say

Thursday 9 May 2024 19:45 , Jane Dalton

Exclusive: The government is accused of ‘avoiding scrutiny’ by denying a visit of a UN special rapporteur:

Rishi Sunak must allow visit from UN food inspector, 85 charities write

Starmer faces demands to reinstate Diane Abbott

Thursday 9 May 2024 18:55 , Jane Dalton

Keir Starmer is facing calls to let Diane Abbott, who was suspended for allegedly anti-Jewish remarks, back into Labour as anger mounts over the shock defection of Natalie Elphicke:

Starmer faces demands to reinstate Abbott after welcoming ‘rightwing MP’ into Labour

More Conservative MPs want to join Labour, says Wes Streeting

Thursday 9 May 2024 18:35 , Jane Dalton

Exclusive: Wes Streeting says he has spoken to Tory MPs who are considering defecting to Labour:

Tories panic over defections as Streeting says more MPs want to join Labour

In case you missed it: Moment Tory MP Natalie Elphicke joins Labour minutes before PMQs

Thursday 9 May 2024 18:05 , Salma Ouaguira

This is the moment Tory MP Natalie Elphicke walks across the Commons floor to join the Labour party, just minutes before Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday 8 May.

The Dover MP crossed the floor in the Commons as she hit out at the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic Government”.

She said: “I have carefully considered this decision. The change has been dramatic and cannot be ignored.”

At PMQs, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked Mr Sunak “what is the point of this failed Government staggering on” when “the Tory MP for Dover on the front line of small boats crisis says the Prime Minister cannot be trusted with our borders and joins Labour?”

Rishi Sunak must allow visit from UN food inspector due to increasing levels of UK poverty, 85 charities write

Thursday 9 May 2024 17:45 , Salma Ouaguira

More than 80 charities and civil society bodies have called on Rishi Sunak to reverse a decision to block a UK visit by the UN inspector on food poverty until after the election. 

Mr Sunak’s government has told the UN special rapporteur on the right to food that he cannot visit the UK until next year. Professor Michael Fakhri, who uses his role to study hunger and food insecurity in countries around the world, asked to make a formal visit to the UK more than 20 months ago.

Read our full exclusive story here

Tory MP provokes fury as he announces in Commons he has banned asylum seekers cases from his surgery

Thursday 9 May 2024 17:25 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour MPs erupted in fury as a rightwing Tory told the Commons that he has instructed his constituency staff to refuse any cases brought to him by asylum seekers.

Calls of “resign!” could be heard across the chamber as Dudley North MP Marco Longhi got up to speak.

His intervention was another shot across the bows for Rishi Sunak with the right of his party making their views clear on his failure to stop the small boats with asylum seekers on them.

Here’s the full story:

Tory MP announces in Commons he has banned asylum seekers cases from his surgery

‘Shame on you Rishi Sunak,’ says prominent pro-Palestinian activist

Thursday 9 May 2024 17:05 , Salma Ouaguira

American activist Cornel West, who is at the centre of US campus protests, has hit out at the Prime Minister for ‘funding Israel’.

The independent candidate for US president has recently led students at the Columbia University protest that sparked multiple arrests.

He told LBC : “I think the UK Government and the American Government have a morally bankrupt policy. They’re in denial about genocide.

“Genocide denying, to me, is morally bankrupt. And I don’t see how they could not call into question their funding. The military and financial support of this kind of genocide.

“I would say [to the Prime Minister] shame on you. I would say what kind of moral fibre do you actually have that you could continue to fund this kind of massacring and murdering of people?”

Fresh headache for Keir Starmer as pro-Gaza professor launches campaign against top Labour MP

Thursday 9 May 2024 16:41 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a fresh headache over Gaza just days after pro-Palestinian candidates cost Labour tens of thousands of votes at the local elections.

The former head of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is running against shadow veterans minister Steve McCabe in Birmingham Selly Oak, which has a significant Muslim population.

Kamel Hawwash, who is a Professor in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham, is standing against the veteran MP, who is also the chairman of Labour Friends of Israel.

Read our full exclusive story here

Labour face angry backlash over Tory defector’s ‘gaslighting’ women’s rights record

Thursday 9 May 2024 16:20 , Salma Ouaguira

Natalie Elphicke’s defection to Labour has raised concerns among some in Keir Starmer’s party who condemned her defence of her former husband who was imprisoned after being charged with sexual assault.

After Charlie Elphicke was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault against two women, the MP for Dover said he had been punished for being “attractive” and being “attracted to women”.

Ms Elphicke, who defected to the Labour Party on Wednesday, was temporarily suspended from the Commons in 2021 for trying to influence his trial and was forced to apologise.

Charlotte Cornell, a Labour councillor who ran against Ms Elphicke in Dover in 2019, told The Independent: “Her comments minimised what was predatory behaviour and sexual abuse.

“It is one of the reasons I find today really hard to understand. I know there will be women in the local area who are incredibly upset by today’s decision.”

Elphicke defection left Labour MPs in tears due to ‘abhorrent’ comments

Thursday 9 May 2024 16:12 , Salma Ouaguira

Natalie Elphicke’s defection has caused huge uproar among Labour MPs who don’t believe she has a place in the party.

According to Politico, a shadow minister said the move caused “a lot of unease” because “Natalie has said some abhorrent things and I’m not sure her values are those we should be aspiring to have in the party.”

A fellow Labour MP said the Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to allow her into the party left her in tears, adding: “I thought we had some values that were sacrosanct but we don’t.”

Mapped: All the by-elections that have taken place this parliament

Thursday 9 May 2024 16:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Since the 2019 general election, there has been a total of 23 by-elections across the UK - two of which have taken place in Scotland with the remainder being held in England.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have, at the expense of the Conservatives, gained eight and four seats respectively.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party has held five of its seats and lost one to Mr Galloway, while the Tories have managed to hold one, scraping a narrow victory - 495 votes - in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, a contest that was dominated by the expansion of Ulez in outer London.

Check out the numbers in full here:

Mapped: All the by-elections that have taken place this parliament

In full: Who is Natalie Elphicke’s ex-husband?

Thursday 9 May 2024 15:43 , Salma Ouaguira

The new Labour MP has been target of criticism for defending her former husband following sexual assault allegations.

But who is Charlie Elphicke? Here’s what you need to know:

• The disgraced former Tory member chaired the Dover constituency from 2010 to 2019.

• He had his whip removed after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women.

• According to court documents, he chased one of the victims around his home chanting “I’m a naughty Tory”.

• He was later slapped with two years in prison.

‘Tories can learn from Lammy.’ says pro-Trump think tank

Thursday 9 May 2024 15:29 , Salma Ouaguira

A rightwing British thinktank which supports Donald Trump has praised David Lammy for his US diplomacy.

The Legatum Institute has told Rishi Sunak and the Tories to learn lessons from Labour’s shadow foreign secretary after he made another successful trip to Washington DC ahead of what many think will be a Labour general election victory.

Here’s the full story:

Pro-Trump thinktank tells Sunak to take US diplomacy lessons from David Lammy

Rishi Sunak vows to keep Jewish students safe

Thursday 9 May 2024 15:25 , Salma Ouaguira

The Prime Minister has promised to protect Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests across British universities.

Posting on X, he announced Downing Street will work with university bosses to “tackle antisemitism”.

It comes after Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) urged university leaders to take “swift and decisive action” to protect Jewish students.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website