Grant Shapps claims government action has ‘slashed’ the number of migrant boats
DEFENCE Secretary Grant Shapps has said the Government has “slashed” the number of migrants crossing the Channel - and hit out at Gary Lineker for calling for the Rwanda scheme to be scrapped.
He told GB News: “We have been successful so far We’ve been through different pieces of legislation, fought tooth and nail through Parliament against Labour who tried to defeat them in the Lords in particular, where they have a majority, and that has led to the number of small boat crossings falling by a third, slashed by a third this year.
“Now, that still means there are boats crossing and we think that Rwanda is the plan to show these people traffickers that their businesses are bust and that's why we think it's important to pass this piece of legislation.
“What I'd say is Parliament is perfectly at liberty to debate these things and colleagues will have different views from right across the House.”
Asked during Breakfast with Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster about increasing speculation about an early General Election, he said: “First of all, I don't think that's going to happen. I do think that the bill will have much more difficulty in the Lord's where Labour have already pledged to try to defeat it.
“Well, they don't have an answer. At least we're coming up with answers, as I say, we’re already having success by slashing the number of crossings by third.
“This will be the next step. It will reduce the ability of people to be able to continue to play the system and stop themselves from being deported. That's why I think it's very important that we unite behind it pass this bill, bank the third reduction that we've got, but let's deal with the other two thirds now and this is the way to do it.”
On Gary Lineker signing a letter calling for the Rwanda scheme to be scrapped, he added: “He should stick to football commentary, and I'd say this: what is moral about allowing criminal gangs to put people's lives at risk?
“The large sums of money by trafficking them across the English Channel - what on earth has gone into anyone's minds to think that we shouldn't challenge or tackle that disgusting trade in human misery?“
