PM not putting date on stopping Channel crossings

Sir Keir Starmer did not directly answer the question of whether small boat crossings could be stopped entirely

The prime minister says he is “not going to put an arbitrary date” on stopping the small boat Channel crossings.

In an interview with BBC South East, Sir Keir Starmer said he was "absolutely determined" to tackle the smuggling gangs who facilitated the crossings, but would not commit to a timeframe for doing that.

More than 10,000 people have made the journey across the Channel since Labour won the election in July, and 45 people have died making the crossing in 2024.

The prime minister said: "I am absolutely determined that we will take down the gangs that are running this vile trade."

But he did not directly answer the question of whether the small boat crossings could be stopped entirely.

He said: "That's why we set up the border security command...that's why we fast-tracked some of the processing [of asylum claims]."

The previous Conservative government made stopping the boats a central pledge, but the Labour government stopped short of saying the same.

In an interview ahead of his party's conference in Liverpool, the prime minister was asked when people living on the Kent coast could expect to stop seeing small boats arriving.

He said: "We've been on it from day one.

"As quickly as possible. I'm not going to pick an arbitrary date because I think they're pretty fed up with governments setting arbitrary dates but I am absolutely determined that we tackle this."