Rishi Sunak faces fresh headache as small boat crossings set to pass 50,000-mark

RISHI Sunak faces a fresh headache today as the number of small boat crossings since he became PM is set to pass the 50,000 mark.

The shocking figure leaves 2024 on track to be the worst year on record for dinghy arrivals.

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Elliott Franks

James Cleverly was yesterday forced to firefight claims that one of his top aide’s thinks the Rwanda policy is ‘crap’[/caption]

In a blow to the PM, the average number of weekly crossings is set to surpass the 404 under Boris Johnson’s leadership to hit 575.

It comes as Home Secretary James Cleverly was yesterday forced to firefight claims that one of his top aide’s thinks the Rwanda policy is “crap”.

James Sunderland was secretly recorded blasting the deportation scheme at a private event in April.

He said: “The policy is crap, OK? It’s crap.” The Conservative candidate, vying to keep his Bracknell seat, went on to say that Rwanda would nonetheless work as a deterrent.

He added: “It’s not about the policy. It’s about the effect of the policy.” On Sunday Mr Cleverly insisted his aide was making a “counterintuitive statement” for dramatic effect.

The Home Secretary told the BBC: “I’ve had a conversation with him and I’ve also heard the recording.

“And it’s clear what he’s doing is he’s putting forward a very counterintuitive statement to grab the attention of the audience.

“If you actually listen to what he then went on to say, he was saying that the impact, the effect, is what matters.”

Meanwhile, Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson appeared to rule out Labour agreeing to an illegal migrant returns deal with the EU.

Pushed on whether the UK would agree to take migrants from the continent as part of an exchange agreement, she said: “We will not be part of any EU quota system and any suggestion of that kind is completely wrong.”

Responding to the small boats milestone set to be hit today, Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Paymaster General, said: “Whatever else happens in this election campaign, Rishi Sunak will always be known as the Prime Minister who broke his promises to Britain.

“He pledged to stop the boats, but has seen 50,000 people make the crossing on his watch, is currently presiding over the worst year ever for small boat arrivals, and has the Home Secretary’s closest parliamentary aide now dismissing his Rwanda policy as ‘crap’.”