Mahmood: 'Brexit not to blame for boats'

Claim 22k crossings stopped

- BY MICHAEL KNOWLES Home Affairs Editor

HOME Secretary Shabana Mahmood piled more misery on Keir Starmer as she sensationally contradicted him in admitting Brexit is not to blame for the Channel migrant crisis.

In October, Sir Keir labelled the dinghies “Farage boats” and praised an EU-wide returns scheme.

But Ms Mahmood dismissed claims that the historic vote to quit the bloc was “responsible for the boats”, adding that Brussels had replaced the Dublin Agreement hailed by Sir Keir.

She also admitted the PM’s one-in-one-out deal with France was not deterring migrants.

Ms Mahmood told the Home Affairs Select Committee:

"I would just dispute whether Dublin actually worked as was intended.

"The EU have now created a new pact because their own arrangements were not working as intended.