Ramp up French deal to cut migrant boats

Think-tank calls for 20 times the returns

- BY DAVE BURKE

KEIR Starmer's greatest chance of taking on Nigel Farage is ramping up a returns deal with France and cutting small boat crossings by 75%, a report says.

Almost half of voters would back up to 50,000 asylum seekers being allowed into the UK each year under a “one in, one out deal”, an Ipsos poll found.

And more than 50% of Reform supporters would support them being permitted to seek asylum here, as long those without a real case were sent back to France.

The PM is pushing ahead with a deal reached with France's Emmanuel Macron, with the exchanges thought to initially be capped at 50 a week.