GB News was suddenly cut for a breaking update that’s raising fresh questions about Labour’s grip on border control. A record number of small boat migrants crossed the Channel on Tuesday, with reports saying around 700 people arrived in the UK in just one day. That’s not long after 656 made the same journey on Saturday — and now, the 2025 total has jumped to nearly 9,000. That’s a sharp rise compared to 6,265 by this time last year.
It’s not a good look for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who came into office promising to “smash the gangs” behind the crossings. But critics are saying it’s the gangs doing the smashing — not the government, reported the Express.
GB News presenter Martin Daubney didn’t hold back during his chat with political scientist Mike Jones. “It feels like another day in clown world,” Daubney said, reacting to the new numbers. Jones agreed, calling it a “grim tally” and adding, “Many more records will be smashed during Labour’s time in office because the gangs are smashing Sir Keir Starmer rather than the other way around.”
Jones said Starmer’s law-and-order messaging sounds good, but isn’t doing much in practice. “It’s not about slogans like stop the boats or smash the gangs — what you need is to detain and deport,” he said. And for that to work, he argued, the government has to reopen detention centres and seriously rethink the Human Rights Act.
Mike Jones went even further, slamming the current state of the Home Office. “Right now, it’s a Potemkin institution — it has no real power,” he said. “All the power lies with the judges and human rights lawyers. Starmer can try all he wants, but smashing the gangs isn’t going to happen under this setup.”
A senior maritime security source also spoke to GB News and didn’t sugarcoat it either. “This is an absolute disaster for Labour’s border security policies,” they said. “We’ve seen some recent wins from law enforcement agencies arresting suspected smugglers, but the crossings aren’t slowing down — the only things being smashed are the old records.”
It’s a far cry from the bold pledge Starmer made at Interpol’s Glasgow assembly back in November, where he said it was his “personal mission to smash the people-smuggling gangs” and promised £75 million to tighten border security.
Now, as the numbers keep climbing, it’s clear the pressure is too.
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