Madeleine Sumption says politicians make big claims about things they only partially control to appeal to voters
Keir Starmer’s pledge to “smash the gangs” profiting from small boat crossings has followed a pattern set by Conservative-led governments of employing “bullish rhetoric” with little evidence that it can be delivered, an expert has claimed.
Madeleine Sumption, the director of the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, says the prime minister has repeated the mistakes of Rishi Sunak and David Cameron by making “bold claims with great certainty about things governments only partially control” .
The UK and French governments are wrangling over a new deal to stop people-smuggling gangs from operating in the Channel. Starmer announced his promise to “smash the gangs” in the run-up to the 2024 general election, but is facing increasing criticism from opposition parties for failing to curb the number of people reaching the UK.
As of 25 February, 2,209 people had arrived in the UK in small boats in 2026 – up by about 7% compared with the same period in 2025.
