Our politicians are deaf to the sound of alarm bells ringing

A BEVVY of grim statistics landed this week, each one another nail in the coffin for a country that once prided itself on competence, pragmatism and a bit of backbone. If you were hoping for good news, I suggest you stop reading now. If not, let's take a tour, in chronological order, through the rotting remains of the Government's key manifesto promises on small boats, the economy, crime and free speech.

- Esther Krakue

Since Sir Keir Starmer brazenly scrapped the Rwanda scheme last year because the “adults are back in charge”, more than 50,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats. Sir Keir, who won power promising to “smash the gangs”, reached that figure in just 402 days compared to his predecessor Rishi Sunak's 603 days. The gangs, in case you're wondering, are doing just fine.

Protests have been erupting amid allegations of sexual assaults by asylum seekers. Tower Hamlets, Epping and towns you've probably never heard of are the flashpoints.

To say that the Government's response has been disappointing would be putting it lightly. The truth no one in power dares to acknowledge is that Britain has become a willing host for whichever extremist strolls in under the banner of "asylum seeker", a situation which is both unsustainable and a ticking time bomb.

THE LATEST economic figures don’t offer comfort, either. Job vacancies have slumped to a 10-year low, and more than 200,000 additional people are claiming unemployment benefits since Labour took office, pushing the jobless rate from 4.2% to 4.7%.