'Clearly a moron!' Nigel Farage shames James Cleverly over spiralling migration in brutal put down
'We MUST take charge of illegal migration OURSELVES': 'NOTHING democratic about the …
Nigel Farage has dubbed James Cleverly a "moron" after he praised Border Force for the first Christmas in five years without a single Channel crossing.
But the former UKIP leader claimed that the lack of crossings came as a result of high winds and poor conditions amid Storm Gerrit.
Cleverly tweeted: "There were no small boat arrivals over Christmas for the first time since they started in 2018.
"Last night, our Border Force officers and their French partners worked together to stop a boat launching on the beaches.
Hitting out at the Home Secretary on X, Farage said: "You may be called Cleverly but you are clearly a moron"
PA
"They’ve played a crucial role in cutting crossings by 35 per cent.”
Hitting out at the Home Secretary on X, Farage said: "You may be called Cleverly but you are clearly a moron.
"I am close to Dover now, the wind has been gusting 50mph.
"That is why there are no migrant crossings."
Meanwhile, Labour’s shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, said: "Like the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary is fast becoming a figure of ridicule, this time trying to take credit for stormy winter weather.
"2023 has been the second worst year on record for dangerous Channel crossings, and the cost of emergency hotel use for asylum seekers stands at £8 million a day.
"He needs to stop boasting and start delivering on his pledge to stop the dangerous boat crossings."
There were no small boat crossings on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day, Home Office figures show.
This is the first year without crossings over Christmas since 2018.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Ferry operator DFDS said there were delays to cross-Channel services as a result of high winds out at sea.
Some 90 people crossed the Channel last year on Christmas day. There were no crossings on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.