Afternoon summary
One person has died after a boat carrying dozens of refugees ran into difficulties while attempting to cross the Channel, French authorities have said. At least 66 people were onboard the craft when it was spotted about 5 miles (8km) off the coast of Grand-Fort-Philippe at about 12.30am local time on Friday, Premar Manche, a French agency that monitors the Channel, said. Rescue ships reached the boat about 30 minutes later and one person onboard was pronounced dead. Another person in a critical condition was taken by helicopter to hospital in Calais, the agency said.
The chair of the Labour party, Anneliese Dodds, said there “needs to be far more done to break up” the gangs that are facilitating boat crossings. Asked for her reaction to the confirmation that a person has died attempting to cross the Channel on Friday, Dodds told Sky News: “It is obviously absolutely awful, heartbreaking news. One can barely imagine what it must have been like in the middle of the night with freezing cold water and the terror and fear for people on that vessel. And I think yet again this underlines really that the criminal people-smuggling gangs are putting individuals in absolutely appalling danger.”
The British government has confirmed that a person died following the incident in the Channel but said it would not comment further at the moment. A UK government spokesperson said: “We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters that has tragically resulted in a loss of life.”
Meanwhile, the science minister has said reports that the UK government is considering curbing social media use among children is “speculation”. Andrew Griffith said the prime minister Rishi Sunak’s administration “isn’t a government that philosophically bans things for the sake of it”. Asked whether he could provide more details following reports that restrictions could be placed on under-16s using social media platforms, Griffith told LBC: “I can’t because this is speculation. At this point, it is about a consultation that is rumoured to happen in the new year.”
Rishi Sunak will hold a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Ital, Giorgia Meloni, and Albania, Edi Rama, during a visit to Rome on Saturday, PA Media reports. A Downing Street spokesperson said the talks “will be focused on our joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration and organised crime”, as well as “other shared challenges, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza”.
Bus and train drivers have begun a 48-hour strike over pay in Northern Ireland, disrupting travel for schoolchildren, commuters and shoppers in the latest crisis over public services. The trade unions Unite, GMB and Siptu started the action just after midnight, disrupting Translink bus, glider and train services on what is usually one of the busiest weekends before Christmas. Another strike is due on 22 December. Brian Warke, a bus driver at Derry’s Pennyburn bus depot, said drivers were struggling with bills. “People can’t pay their mortgages,” he told the BBC. “We have been offered a 0% pay rise this year from April. And that’s why we have had to make this decision today to come out together.”
Tony Blair banned foxhunting in 2004 after coming under pressure from an animal rights group the Labour party had accepted a large donation from, Peter Mandelson has claimed. Lord Mandelson, the peer and former Labour MP, said Blair included a commitment to hold a free vote on hunting with dogs in the 1997 manifesto after receiving money from an animal welfare fund. The former prime minister has said the foxhunting ban, which was finally enacted in 2004, was one of the policies he most regrets. Debate has since raged about whether the ban should be repealed, with the Conservative party previously having promised to hold a free vote on whether to do so, while Labour says it will tighten loopholes in the ban.
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Rishi Sunak will hold a trilateral meeting with Italian premier Giorgia Meloni and Albania’s Edi Rama during a visit to Rome on Saturday, PA reports.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said the talks “will be focused on our joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration and organised crime”, as well as “other shared challenges such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza”.
“As you’ve heard from the prime minister direct, he is clear that this is a shared global challenge and it is important that countries work together to address it, just as we are with Rwanda and with other like-minded countries such as Italy and Albania.”
Asked whether a deal to process asylum seekers in Albania could be up for discussion, she said:
The focus will be on our existing partnerships and work with both Italy and with Albania, and the work that’s already ongoing with them on illegal migration, and the returns deal, for example, with Albania that we already have.
The death in the Channel underlines the importance of Rishi Sunak’s efforts to “stop the boats”, Downing Street has said.
A No 10 spokesperson told reporters on Friday:
The prime minister’s thoughts are obviously with all those who are affected.
There is an ongoing French-led investigation, as you would have seen.
It serves as a stark reminder of how dangerous these crossings are and just how crucial it is that we work together to stop the boats and clamp down on the organised criminal gangs that are fuelling it.
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James Cleverly said the government “must and will do more” after a person died and another was left in a critical condition following the sinking of a boat in the Channel.
The home secretary said in a post on X:
The incident in the Channel last night is a horrific reminder of the people smugglers’ brutality. 25,000 people have been averted from crossing this year - but we must and will do more.
My thanks to all those involved in the rescue. Every boat stopped is a potential life saved.
The incident in the Channel last night is a horrific reminder of the people smugglers’ brutality.
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) December 15, 2023
25,000 people have been averted from crossing this year – but we must and will do more.
My thanks to all those involved in the rescue. Every boat stopped is a potential life saved.
The British government has confirmed that a person died following the incident in the Channel but said it would not comment further at the moment.
A UK government spokesperson said:
We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters that has tragically resulted in a loss of life.
French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this stage – our thoughts are with those involved and their families.
Updated
Bus and train drivers have begun a 48-hour strike over pay in Northern Ireland, disrupting travel for schoolchildren, commuters and shoppers in the latest crisis over public services.
The trade unions Unite, GMB and Siptu started the action just after midnight, disrupting Translink bus, glider and train services on what is usually one of the busiest weekends before Christmas. Another strike is due on 22 December.
Brian Warke, a bus driver at Derry’s Pennyburn bus depot, said drivers were struggling with bills. “People can’t pay their mortgages,” he told the BBC. “We have been offered a 0% pay rise this year from April. And that’s why we have had to make this decision today to come out together.”
Health and education workers have also staged strikes in recent months amid the paralysis of the Stormont executive and what are widely seen as insufficient budget allocations by Chris Heaton-Harris.
Earlier this week the secretary of state offered a financial package said to be worth £2.5bn, including a lump sum to settle pay claims, on condition that Stormont was revived.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the Democratic Unionist party leader, is to meet party officers on Friday to discuss a possible deal with the UK government over post-Brexit trading arrangements that would end the DUP boycott of power-sharing.
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Tony Blair banned foxhunting in 2004 after coming under pressure from an animal rights group the Labour party had accepted a large donation from, Peter Mandelson has claimed.
Lord Mandelson, the peer and former Labour MP, said the former prime minister included a commitment to hold a free vote on hunting with dogs in the 1997 manifesto after receiving money from an animal welfare fund.
Blair has said the foxhunting ban, which was finally enacted in 2004, was one of the policies he most regrets. Debate has since raged about whether the ban should be repealed, with the Conservative party previously having promised to hold a free vote on whether to do so, while Labour says it will tighten loopholes in the ban.
Mandelson was speaking during a discussion on whether political donations can affect policy on the Times Radio podcast How to Win an Election.
Updated
Meanwhile, the science minister has said reports that the UK government is considering curbing social media use among children is “speculation”.
Andrew Griffith said the prime minister Rishi Sunak’s administration “isn’t a government that philosophically bans things for the sake of it”.
Asked whether he could provide more details following reports that restrictions could be placed on under-16s using social media platforms, Griffith told LBC:
I can’t because this is speculation. At this point, it is about a consultation that is rumoured to happen in the new year.
He added:
I guess if you look forward to what else, what more the government could be doing, that would be the logic behind a consultation.
It is about getting that balance. I know parents worry about these things, some bad things happen out there on social media - if we can help parents, then we will, but it is always about a balance.
The Conservative minister said it was “right you don’t just charge off and do these things”, and that industry needed to be consulted about any potential new social media restrictions.
“Let me just emphasise it is about a balance. This isn’t a government that philosophically bans things for the sake of it, but it is about putting parents in control and protecting our children,” he added.
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Rescue ships reached the boat about 30 minutes later and one person onboard was pronounced dead. Another person was taken to hospital in Calais by helicopter in a critical condition, the Premar Manche, a French agency that monitors the Channel, said.
It added that sea and air searches of the area continued.
The Cross Griz Nez – a coordination centre for rescue operations in Pas-de-Calais, received a message that a migrant boat was in difficulty around midnight, Premar Manche said.
The centre dispatched the Esvagt Charlie, a state-chartered rescue ship, which took about 30 minutes to reach the wreck site, the agency said
Enver Solomon, chief executive officer of the Refugee Council, said:
This is yet another terrible and avoidable tragedy. Our thoughts are with the victim, the survivors and their loved ones.
These appalling deaths are becoming too common and there is an urgent need to put in place safe routes so people don’t have to take dangerous journeys across the world’s busiest shipping lane.
Instead, the government is pushing ahead with its unworkable and unprincipled Rwanda plan as well as shutting down existing safe ways to get to the UK.
People flee persecution and violence out of desperation, to find safety and protect their families. The government must take action now and respond in a compassionate way to prevent future tragedies and protect human life.
'Far more' needs to be done to disrupt people smugglers, says Labour
The Labour chair, Anneliese Dodds, said there “needs to be far more done to break up” the gangs that are facilitating boat crossings.
Asked for her reaction to the confirmation that a person has died attempting to cross the Channel on Friday, Dodds told Sky News:
It is obviously absolutely awful, heartbreaking news. One can barely imagine what it must have been like in the middle of the night with freezing cold water and the terror and fear for people on that vessel.
And I think yet again this underlines really that the criminal people-smuggling gangs are putting individuals in absolutely appalling danger.
They are profiting from this really disgracefully, and there needs to be far more done to break up those criminal people smuggling gangs.
But above all, I think this morning, we would all be really thinking about that person who has died and want to pass on our sympathy to their family.
Updated
One person dies after refugee boat in Channel runs into difficulty
Good morning and welcome to the UK politics live blog. My name is Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you all the latest news from Westminster throughout the day.
We start with some reaction to the news that a person has died after a boat carrying dozens of refugees ran into difficulties while attempting to cross the Channel, French authorities have said.
At least 66 people were onboard the craft when it was spotted about five miles (8 km) off the coast of Grand-Fort-Philippe at about 12.30am local time on Friday, Premar Manche, a French agency that monitors the Channel, said.
Government minister Andrew Griffith said the confirmation of another death in the English Channel showed why the crossing was “not a safe route” and why prime minister Rishi Sunak was “cracking down on the terrible trade of people traffickers”.
The science minister, asked for his reaction on Sky News, said:
Well, we are just hearing it now, but all of these are tragic stories. It shows once again the importance of cracking down on the terrible trade of people traffickers in the Channel.
It is not a safe route, it is not a safe crossing. People shouldn’t need to do that.
It is why it is really important that the government is taking action through things like the Illegal Migration Bill (sic), through the proposals around Rwanda that we debated in parliament earlier this year, to absolutely remove the incentive, break the economic model of people smugglers, so that we can stop this terrible trade.
French authorities confirmed two people had died in a similar incident off the coast of France last month.
Two others died after trying to cross the Channel in separate incidents in August and November 2021, while an independent inquiry was launched last month after 27 people died when after an inflatable boat capsized, also in November 2021.
