Andy Burnham today insisted he wants to ‘eradicate’ illegal dinghy crossings – but admitted he probably won’t be able to do so before 2029. The Prime Minister was forced to confront the illegal migration scandal blighting Britain after GB News pressed him on this week’s mega-dinghy arrival.
On a visit to Ilkeston in Derbyshire during his ‘listening tour’ of the country, Burnham claimed that he ‘hears’ the public’s concerns about Channel crossings. Yet he argued that ‘it would be wrong for me to make a prediction’ about when the scandal will finally end and Britain’s borders will function again.
The Prime Minister said:
I just can only promise to people what I know I can do and what I know I can deliver. And that is a relentless focus on this issue to deal with the public concern. I heard it on doorstep after doorstep in Makerfield, and I said to the people there and I say it to the country, “I hear what you say”. People will say to me, we don’t want any crossings. I understand that concern. There are further things that we are doing, and we will keep going at this issue until we deliver that eradication that people are looking for.
He also suggested that middle class areas of Britain can expect a surge in HMOs coming their way. Asked about plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers at an MoD site by the Oxfordshire village of Piddington, the Prime Minister said: ‘I do have to say we cannot have a situation where it’s only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers. I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part. It’s a challenging issue.’
Burnham went on to repeat Labour’s go-to line that both Channel crossings and legal migration are down, arguing that ‘there is real progress to report’. This comes, of course, despite 3,003 illegal arrivals since he became prime minister. Indeed, Burnham’s daily average of 137 towers over Sir Keir Starmer’s 106. Perhaps, the Prime Minister may wish listen to the idea that so long as the state continues offering up a hotel, food and cash to illegals, they will just keep coming? Mr S won’t hold his breath.
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