Reform UK has proposed using the Royal Navy to stop small boats carrying migrants from France, a plan a former Royal Navy commander said lacks substance and would be better aimed at actual military threats.
The party's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, said the operation would be the largest military effort in the English Channel since World War Two. Under the proposal, navy vessels would pick up people attempting irregular Channel crossings and take them to France.
Political opponents dismissed the plan as an attempt to distract from financial scandals surrounding Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The retired commander argued that warships should be used to counter real military challenges instead of intercepting migrant boats.