Eamonn Holmes has launched a scathing attack on Labour over Britain’s latest migration agreement with France, questioning whether politicians believe the public are “stupid”.
The GB News host expressed his frustration at being “lectured” by senior Government figures who claim the new arrangement represents a positive outcome for the UK.
His comments come as the controversial “one in, one out” scheme between Britain and France takes effect today.
The new arrangement, which received European Commission approval, permits Britain to return undocumented Channel crossings to France whilst accepting an equivalent number of asylum seekers who have family connections in the UK.
Speaking about the plan, Eamonn said: “What irritates me, amongst the many things that irritate me, is being lectured by the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, or the Foreign Secretary, telling us that this is a really good deal for Britain.
“Why on earth? I mean, don’t you just want to say to these people: Do you think we’re all stupid?”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Britain to FINALLY return illegal Channel migrants back to France under ‘one-in, one-out’ policyGMB fury at ‘ludicrous’ small boats debate as Balls quizzes Home Office MP: ‘His WIFE’S policies!’University foreign student ban looms to crack down on asylum ‘back-door’
Political commentator Charlie Rowley argreed: “I think that is absolutely right, because you can’t take the British public for fools. They can see through it whether the Government is on the ropes or trying to spin a fast one and they will see that this is not what the public wants. It’s not about ‘one in, one out’. They just want the whole issue to stop.
“Trying to tell people on the one hand, that the riots we had last summer were all part of some far-right bandwagon, and now we’re seeing more peaceful protests, but protests nonetheless, on the back of illegal immigration, on the back of people’s safety.
“You’re hearing reports, not just of people who’ve come into the country and are getting free accommodation, healthcare, and £50 a week, while also working as food delivery drivers, but now we’re talking about individuals who haven’t even been prosecuted yet but are already charged with crimes against women and girls.
“Sexual and violent crimes, committed by people who’ve effectively broken into the country. That has got to stop.”
“That’s why the country is now at a tipping point. So the idea that the Prime Minister would say: ‘During this summer of discontent, let’s launch a one in, one out scheme, Prime Minister. That’ll tell the public. That’ll wash.’ It doesn’t.”
He added: “I don’t know who’s advising the people in No10 I don’t know why the Prime Minister thought it was acceptable last year to call this a ‘far-right bandwagon’ when actually, the public mood is very much behind wanting the Government to take control and stop this issue.
“And you’ve got minister after minister saying things like, ‘Well, if it’s topics like the rape gang scandal,’ a different issue, yes but still, the idea that you can’t talk about these things without being deemed a racist. Or that you can’t raise them without being called a fruitcake, a closet racist, a crackpot.
“Now that whole tinderbox is open because for too long, we haven’t been allowed to talk about serious issues in the UK.”
“And I think now coupled with immigration, coupled with the crimes we’re seeing, coupled with our prisons being filled with foreign nationals it’s all, as I say, at boiling point. And I don’t think the UK can cope with it for much longer.”
Labour has allocated an additional £100million to support the scheme, with funds directed towards recruiting 300 new National Crime Agency officers and financing overtime for immigration compliance staff.
The agreement targets approximately 50 returns weekly, a figure dwarfed by the 35,000 arrivals recorded last year and over 25,000 already in 2025.
