𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Kemi Badenoch accused Andy Burnham of relying on the weather to protect Britain’s borders in their first Commons clash. The Tory leader blasted Labour’s renewed interest in a Rwanda-style returns hub for failed asylum seekers – after they cancelled the Conservatives’ deportation deal with Kigali. And she told him bluntly: “We must be honest”.

Mr Burnham confirmed he will continue to pursue a deal for migrant return hubs, which were first proposed by Sir Keir Starmer and former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

But, quizzing him during his first appearance in the House of Commons as Prime Minister, Mrs Badenoch told MPs: “It’s good to hear small boat crossings are down but we must be honest. Boat crossings have not gone down because of anything he has done and the problem is still not solved.

“He will have seen the extraordinary scenes in Ceuta over the summer… where more than 70,000 people tried to cross into Europe.

“Many of those people would like to end up in the UK.

“This is not just a British problem… it is a growing, global problem… and last week I was in Italy and Greece… talking to their governments about the urgent action they are taking to confront it.

“I hope this is what he will be discussing with President Macron tomorrow.

Even Denmark is starting to send illegal migrants to other countries as a deterrent… exactly like the Rwanda scheme we put in place… and Labour scrapped.

“We now hear… that the Home Secretary is thinking about reviving a Rwanda-style scheme.

“Can he tell me… yes or no… is that the plan?”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham insisted Labour’s plan to stop the boats was working.

And he confirmed he will continue to pursue return hubs, which were first proposed by Sir Keir Starmer and former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

Allies of Shabana Mahmood have confirmed she is interested in a similar arrangement.

He said: “Can they not just accept that the action that we’re taking is making a progress?

“The co-operation with the French that I mentioned, and yes we will continue to look at all measures the Home Secretary and I, we will be relentless in making sure we continue to make progress, but it would, I think, do the party opposite well to recognise that significant progress has indeed been made.”

Some 16,391 migrants have crossed the Channel so far, down 43% on the same time last year and a 17% drop from the same point in 2024.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she will not be “complacent” about the falling numbers, and that there is “more we must do”.

Mrs Badenoch also blasted the Labour Prime Minister for putting crime victims and their families through “hell”.

She said: “He has had five different positions on early release in six weeks, putting the victims through hell with his indecision.

“Before the summer… I sat with women who had experienced some of the most horrific crimes imaginable… and the perpetrators of those crimes were about to be let out of prison early.

“The Prime Minister told those women… that it was too difficult to keep their perpetrators in jail.

“Then he changed his mind.

“The family of PC Andrew Harper appealed… to the Prime Minister not to release his killers early… and again… he told them it was a ‘non-starter. Then he changed his mind.

“The Conservatives told the government to create new spaces on the existing prison estate… and to get foreign-born criminals out of our jails.

“The government said we were wrong… now they’re doing both.

“He has had five different positions on early release in six weeks… putting the victims through hell with his indecision.

“Will he now set out a timeline for his promise to get more foreign national prisoners out of British prisons?”

Under Labour’s plans, many convicts will be out after spending just a third of their jail term in prison. And those sentenced to four years or more will only be let out after serving 50% of their sentence behind bars.

The Prime Minister confirmed PC Andrew Harper’s killers – Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers – will not be released from prison early, while others convicted of manslaughter will also be exempt from Labour’s disastrous scheme.

But critics warned thousands of dangerous criminals – includes thugs convicted of domestic violence – will be let out to terrorise victims.

And Mr Burnham sparked fury after confirming he will release convicts jailed indefinitely because they are deemed to be a danger to society.

The Prime Minister told MPs: “There are more than 2,200 prisoners on IPPs, the majority of whom have committed sexual or violent offences. Abolishing the sentences, in order to free up prison space, means that many could be released immediately.

“None of this is easy, but I did what I always do, and that is to apply my values to a challenging situation and a care for people which I spoke about in Downing Street.

“I believe the public will support me in recognising the clear difference between those who have served their time and more and those who have not…

“We can find a solution to end this injustice which balances public safety and basic fairness and I urge colleagues on all sides of the House to help us to do that. This is politics done differently, problem solving over point scoring.”