Rishi Sunak faces a new challenge in meeting his pledge to stop migrants crossing the Channel in small boats after plans to upgrade Britain’s ageing fleet of border patrol craft were delayed by another year.
A contract to replace Border Force’s five cutters, which are used to detect and deter illegal immigration and smuggling of illicit goods, is now not scheduled to start until April next year.
It had already been delayed from its initial start date of April last year, meaning the contract will start at least two years later than originally planned.
The estimated cost of replacing the entire fleet has also risen on last year’s forecast, from £200 million to £224 million, according to the latest version of the Home Office’s
