Democracy At Work
While the votes are still being counted in some areas of the country, the message from Thursday’s elections, especially in England and Wales, is unmistakable. The voters have delivered their verdict on the political establishment: “we have had enough of you”.
8th May 2026: Border chief resigns after failing to cut crossings, and Matt Goodwin’s book sparks debate
The total number of illegal migrants to have crossed the English Channel in small boats since the government began counting in 2018 has this week passed 200,000 – a population the size of York or Norwich. Of those ~200,000, just 7,612 have been deported, or about 4%.
April 24th 2026: Reform UK pledges to review asylum grants, and Sir Keir Starmer hands over more taxpayer cash to France for yet another small boats “deal”
This week, Reform UK announced plans to review all asylum grants made in the past five years should the party win the next general election. Around 400,000 people who entered illegally, overstayed visas, or came from countries now deemed safe would be stripped of their status and deported.