Sunak challenged on timing of small boats speech as crossings drop during strong winds

Mr Sunak played down the possibility that poor weather may be part of the reason for a reduction in journeys

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during a press conference at Western Jet Foil in Dover, as he gives an update on the progress made in the six months since he introduced the Illegal Migration Bill under his plans to "stop the boats". (PA)

Rishi Sunak joked that he “can’t control the weather” after he was questioned on whether the fall in small boat crossings was down to high winds in the Channel rather than government policy.

In a speech in Kent on Monday, the prime minister said that the numbers making the crossing were down by a fifth since last year, claiming that “our plan is starting to work”.

Small boat crossings in Spring are very dependent on weather conditions in the Channel but Mr Sunak played down the possibility that poor weather may be part of the reason for a reduction in journeys.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during a press conference at Western Jet Foil in Dover, as he gives an update on the progress made in the six months since he introduced the Illegal Migration Bill under his plans to "stop the boats". (PA)

Asked whether he had any evidence that it was government policies that had helped bring down numbers rather than external factors, he said: “Crossings elsewhere in Europe are up by almost a third over a similar time period... That’s a result I think of the actions we’ve put in place.”

He was quizzed further by a reporter from ITV Meridian who asked: “It has been exceptionally windy in the Channel for several days now meaning there have been hardly any boat crossings, is that why you’ve chosen to come here today?”

Mr Sunak replied: “The message to take away from today is the planning is working.. the numbers are down by almost a fifth this year. We are not complacent. Of course the summer is coming, of course gangs will keep trying different routes.

“In terms of the timing of my visit, there are many things I can control, the weather is not one of them. So, I wish it was so.”

Grahame Madge, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said that an area of high pressure focused to the North West of the UK has pushed strong breezes through the Channel in recent weeks.

“There have been some quite strong breezes running through the Channel because it is on the edge of the area of high pressure, with the wind circulating around it clockwise. That has encouraged a bit of an easterly flow along the Channel, which up until a few days ago was bringing reasonably strong breezes,” he said.

Border Force vessels arrive and leave the Port of Dover in Kent following a number of small boat incidents in the Channel in May. (PA)

He added: “I know that it has had some impact on boat use because the orientation of the wind is coming from a slightly unusual direction. Boat operators and traffickers will have had to be aware of those conditions.”

The jet of Easterly wind has also brought cloud and cooler conditions to the East of England, Mr Madge added. “Although we’ve seen high temperatures in the West, we haven’t seen those sorts of values reached in the East. This is partly due to cloud cover and also because we’ve got those conditions bringing in cooler air from further North,” he said.