Connect with us

Published

on

No migrants have been detected crossing the English Channel in the past 25 days – the longest break since February 2020.

Home Office figures show that the last boat to arrive on British shores was a single vessel carrying 55 people on 16 December.

The day before, seven boats with a total of 292 migrants were found.

By this time last year, 44 migrants on small boats had already been detected. The gap marks the longest break in arrivals since a period spanning February and March 2020.

The pause in attempts to cross to British shores comes as cold and snowy weather has battered many parts of the UK.

Storm Henk, which arrived on 2 January, saw 94mph winds pummel South Wales and southern areas of England.

Amid the adverse weather, Condor Ferries – which operates between Poole, Portsmouth, the Channel Islands and France – cancelled services, while ferry company DFDS called off some Dover-Calais and Dover-Dunkirk sailings.

More on Migrant Crossings

Storm Henk’s arrival came less than a week after Storm Gerrit, which forced Condor to cancel all passenger sailings for three days.

The 25-day period of no small boats includes Christmas 2023 – which was the first without any migrant crossings in five years.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping the boats a priority, but he was dealt a blow last week when leaked figures revealed the number of migrants crossing the Channel could rise to 35,000 this year.

More from Sky News:
Iranian navy seizes oil tanker
‘Substantial snow’ to hit the UK

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a press conference in the Downing Street Briefing Room, London, as he gives an update on the plan to "stop the boats" and illegal migration. Picture date: Thursday December 7, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Migrants. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
Image:
Sunak has put stopping migrant crossings at the top of his to-do list

The leaked Border Force documents revealed that 35,000 crossings is the medium-case scenario considered most likely, while the highest projection is 50,000.

A source close to James Cleverly, the home secretary, tried to downplay the projections.

This leak was swiftly followed by the release of a French report that claimed the UK isn’t cooperating with efforts to stop the boats.

The document, published by the French Court of Accounts, said “that the British don’t provide usable information on the departures of small boats, and give very general, first-level information that has not been counter-checked”.

The Home Office claimed the report “is based on out-of-date information and does not accurately reflect our current working relationship” with France.

Continue Reading

Politics

Chancellor’s Mansion House speech vows to rip up red tape – saying post-financial crash rules went ‘too far’

Published

on

By

Chancellor's Mansion House speech vows to rip up red tape - saying post-financial crash rules went 'too far'

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has criticised post-financial crash regulation, saying it has “gone too far” – setting a course for cutting red tape in her first speech to Britain’s most important gathering of financiers and business leaders.

Increased rules on lenders that followed the 2008 crisis have had “unintended consequences”, Ms Reeves will say in her Mansion House address to industry and the City of London’s lord mayor.

“The UK has been regulating for risk, but not regulating for growth,” she will say.

It cannot be taken for granted that the UK will remain a global financial centre, she is expected to add.

Money blog: Britain’s most affordable town revealed

It’s anticipated Ms Reeves will on Thursday announce “growth-focused remits” for financial regulators and next year publish the first strategy for financial services growth and competitiveness.

Rachel Reeves
Image:
Rachel Reeves


Bank governor to point out ‘consequences’ of Brexit

Also at the Mansion House dinner the governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey will say the UK economy is bigger than we think because we’re not measuring it properly.

A new measure to be used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – which will include the value of data – will probably be “worth a per cent or two on GDP”. GDP is a key way of tracking economic growth and counts the value of everything produced.

Brexit has reduced the level of goods coming into the UK, Mr Bailey will also say, and the government must be alert to and welcome opportunities to rebuild relations.

Mr Bailey will caveat he takes no position on “Brexit per se” but does have to point out its consequences.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Bailey: Inflation expected to rise

In what appears to be a reference to the debate around UK immigration policy, Mr Bailey will also say the UK’s ageing population means there are fewer workers, which should be included in the discussion.

The greying labour force “makes the productivity and investment issue all the more important”.

“I will also say this: when we think about broad policy on labour supply, the economic arguments must feature in the debate,” he’s due to add.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

The exact numbers of people at work are unknown in part due to fewer people answering the phone when the ONS call.

Mr Bailey described this as “a substantial problem”.

He will say: “I do struggle to explain when my fellow [central bank] governors ask me why the British are particularly bad at this. The Bank, alongside other users, including the Treasury, continue to engage with the ONS on efforts to tackle these problems and improve the quality of UK labour market data.”

Continue Reading

Politics

18 US states file lawsuit against SEC and Gary Gensler

Published

on

By

18 US states file lawsuit against SEC and Gary Gensler

President-elect Trump has vowed to fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and replace him with a more crypto-friendly SEC head. 

Continue Reading

Politics

Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill for ‘strategic Bitcoin reserve’

Published

on

By

Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill for ‘strategic Bitcoin reserve’

The proposed legislation would allow the State of Pennsylvania’s Treasurer to invest up to 10% of its funds in Bitcoin, suggesting a multibillion-dollar investment.

Continue Reading

Trending