Britons back confrontation with France to stop small boats crisis

More Britons back standing up to France to curb migrant crossings than deeper cross-Channel cooperation, new polling has revealed.

The bombshell survey, conducted by YouGov, found 41 per cent of Britons believe the UK is more likely to solve the migrant crisis by standing up more forcefully to France.

Meanwhile, 35 per cent suggested pursuing a closer relationship with France to halt small boats.

Labour continues to pay the French authorities hundreds of millions of pounds in an attempt to curb crossings, with the "one-in, one-out" deal supposedly acting as a deterrent to those wanting to make the perilous 21-mile journey.

Reform UK and Tory voters were the most likely to believe it is time to stand up to France.

The figure stood at 79 per cent among those who voted for Reform UK in 2024 and 67 per cent for Conservative supporters.

However, the figure slumped to just 24 per cent among both Labour and Liberal Democrat voters, dropping to 19 per cent among 2024 Green supporters.

Despite Andy Burnham and Sir Keir Starmer pointing out that there has been a 43 per cent drop in small boat crossings compared to this time last year, two-in-five Britons stated they believe there has been an increase in arrivals.

Around one in five said the figure had decreased, with an additional 21 per cent believing the figure remains about the same.

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Andy Burnham vows to 'get everyone in for Christmas' as PM launches drive to end rough sleeping

Andy Burnham has pledged to work to "get everyone in for Christmas" as he seeks to build on his vow to end rough sleeping.

The Prime Minister is attempting to repeat efforts made during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Everyone In scheme resulted in thousands of rough sleepers across England being taken in off the streets.

This week, the Government committed to "offer everyone a route off the streets this Christmas" - although there is no defined period for how long local authorities would be expected to accommodate people.

It is also understood that not every rough sleeper would necessarily take up the offer.

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MONEY: UK inflation jumps to highest level since March in fresh challenge for Andy Burnham

UK inflation jumped to 2.9 per cent in July, dealing households a fresh blow after the energy price cap pushed average annual bills up by £221.

The rate climbed from 2.6 per cent in June and moved further above the Bank of England's two per cent target.

Professor Joe Nellis, emeritus professor and head of economic research at MHA, warned that inflation was "moving back in the wrong direction" and was likely to rise further during the second half of 2026.

He explained the increase would be a setback for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, particularly because rising prices disproportionately affect lower-income households.

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Liberal Democrats demand UK join EU pact in a bid to curb small boat crossings - while blaming Brexit for deportation difficulties

The Liberal Democrats has demanded the UK join Brussels' Migration and Asylum Pact to hand the UK new powers to return small boat migrants.

Sir Ed Davey claimed the deal would let the UK legally to return migrants to the first EU country they entered and grant Britain access to the EU’s biometric database.

He added that Brexit was to blame for difficulties when it came to carrying out checks on background data and criminal history.

Ed Davey says Nigel Farage should 'hang head in shame'... for deal he did not even strike

Sir Ed Davey has said that Nigel Farage should "hang his head in shame" for the Brexit deal - which the Conservatives made.

The Liberal Democrat leader said: "Farage and the Conservatives should hang their heads in shame for breaking our borders with their bad Brexit deal.

"But instead of apologising to the British public, they are now exploiting the mess they created for their own gain."

However, Mr Farage had no involvement in the deal made by the Tories - and has famously spoken out against the final deal made under Boris Johnson.

Andy Burnham handed almost £350,000 ahead of entering No10

Andy Burnham handed support and hospitality worth nearly £350,000 in the four months before becoming Prime Minister.

The hefty six-figure sum was spent on his political campaign and included £35,000 from his former mayoral adviser Sacha Lord, new filings revealed.

Hospitality worth £13,360 was also declared, including four tickets and accommodation at Glastonbury worth £2,520 and two tickets to Ladies' Day at Aintree received in the year before he became an MP.

A Labour Party spokesman told The Times: "It's right that political campaigns are funded by the generous support of party donors, rather than via the public purse. All declarations have been made in line with parliamentary and Electoral Commission rules."

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REVEALED: How should the UK deal with the small boat crisis?