Keir Starmer Promises To ‘Smash The Criminal Gangs’ To Stop Channel Crossings

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer faced off over immigration policies and the contentious issue of small boat crossings during Tuesday’s ITV debate as which both leaders acknowledged the high numbers of Channel crossings but diverged sharply on their solutions.

Sunak admitted the numbers were too high under his leadership, but emphasised his deterrent strategy, accusing Labour of lacking a concrete plan.

The Prime Minister then challenged Starmer for what his solution to illegal immigration across the Channel would be, however, backfired as the Labour leader’s response drew applause from the audience when he pledged to “smash the criminal gangs” the facilitate the crossings. Starmer added that his record as Director of Public Prosecutions in tackling terrorism allowed him to see how this could be done.

Sunak countered, noting Starmer’s voting history against laws currently used to convict criminals, which earned him equal applause.

The exchange took a critical turn when Sunak hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to prioritise UK security: “I will choose our country’s security ahead of membership of a foreign court every single time.”

Starmer firmly opposed this stance, asserting he would not take Britain out of the ECHR, international laws that he said were established after the “horrors of World War Two” by former Conservative wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.

Watch above on ITV.