Nigel Farage will order the Royal Navy to force Channel migrant boats back to France on his first day as prime minister, Zia Yusuf insisted today as he was accused of lining himself up to be the next Reform leader.
The party’s home affairs spokesman also said the party would use the Royal Marines to ‘arrest’ those making the journey, in a speech to its annual conference.
Mr Yusuf vowed a Reform government would carry out ‘the largest mass deportation operation in modern history’ and remove anyone who had arrived illegally.
But his speech vowing to give Britain had ‘the most secure borders on Earth ‘came as he was linked with a tilt at replacing Mr Farage, who is facing major questions about the source of the party’s donations.
Ahead of his speech Mr Yusuf posted online a video about ‘his story’ as the son of medics originally from Sri Lanka who came to Britain in the 1980s.
Tim Montgomery, a former Reform activist and commentator stripped of his membership after criticising Mr Farage, said: ‘The sooner (he) realises this man is running to replace him as leader, the better.’
The party’s home affairs spokesman also said the party would use the Royal Marines to ‘arrest’ those making the journey, in a speech to its annual conference
But his speech vowing to give Britain had ‘the most secure borders on Earth ‘came as he was linked with a tilt at replacing Mr Farage
In his speech Mr Yusuf gave Mr Farage a heavy workload for his first day in No 10 if he wins the next election.
‘He (Farage) will place his briefcase down on the desk, he pick up the phone to the First Sea Lord and deliver an order,’ Mr Yusuf told delegates.
‘He will order His Majesty’s Royal Navy to see to it that not a single unauthorised vessel makes it to the shores of the UK.’
However his claim was slightly undermined minutes later when Mr Farage unveiled an agreement between the party and France’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN).
If RN wins power next year and Reform wins the UK election due to take place by 2029, France would take back migrants blocked from crossing and take responsibility for deporting them to their home nations or other third countries.
RN president Jordan Bardella followed Mr Yusuf onto the stage for a keynote speech.
‘Dear friends here in Birmingham, I make you this promise. If the French people bring us to power in 2027 in a few months, with the Rassemblement National and Marine le Pen, our government will do everything in its power to ensure that France is no longer the gateway for illegal migration into the United Kingdom.’
He added: ‘The destination of illegal migrants entering France should not be the United Kingdom, they should be returned to their countries of origin.’
He continued: ‘We must put an end to these deadly routes, we must break the smuggler business model and together we must take control of our borders.’
