Nick Ferrari has ripped apart Labour for its “inexcusable” failure after gangs smuggled 1,194 illegal migrants across the Channel in a single day. Saturday’s warm weather led to the highest total of people making the perilous journey on a single day so far this year, beating the previous record of 825 set earlier this month.

The shocking figure means 14,600 people have been smuggled across the water so far in 2025, a 30% rise compared to the same point last year. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has blamed favourable weather conditions for the increase, pointing to the higher number of “red days” – periods of calm weather when crossings are more viable. But speaking on his LBC show on Monday, Ferrari blasted the Government’s “inexcusable, shambolic failure” to stop the crossings.

He said Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives “idiotically” promised to stop the boats but said Labour “now stand accused of actually managing to get it almost worse in just the 11 months or so they’ve been in”.

Defence Secretary John Healey conceded that Britain had “lost control of its borders” and admitted it was like a “taxi service”.

After pointing out that Channel crossings were up 42% from a year ago, Ferrari said Labour’s new Border Security Command, designed to crack down on arrivals, had “achieved nothing”.

He also attacked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to ditch the Conservatives’ Rwanda scheme, where illegal arrivals would have been transported to the African country.

“I don’t know whether the Rwanda scheme would’ve worked. We’ll never know. But it seemed to be dumped in an act of political spite,” said the presenter.

The UK has since tried to reach a deal to send illegal arrivals to Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which Ferrari pointed out was no different to sending people to Rwanda.

“They were too stupid, too driven by political motives to see it,” he said.

There has been fury at France’s lack of action over the Channel crisis, with figures suggesting Paris has intercepted fewer than 40% of migrants attempting the crossing so far this year – despite a £480million funding agreement with the UK to help block departures.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the record number of arrivals on Saturday was a “day of shame” for Labour and showed Sir Keir’s party “has completely lost control of our borders”.

He added: “They scrapped the Rwanda deterrent before it even began and now the boats won’t stop coming. So far, this is already the worst year on record.

“Labour have failed on every front, and Britain is paying the price.”

A Home Office spokesperson said after Saturday’s arrivals: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

“The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay, and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.

“That is why this Government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage – through intelligence-sharing under our Border Security Command, enhanced operations in northern France, and tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.”

Keir Starmer torn to shreds by ex-Army chief over defence spending ‘U-turn’

Sir Keir Starmer has been torn apart by a former head of the British Army over defence spending. Lord Dannatt warned that increasing the amount spent to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027 and an ambition to hit 3% by 2034 is not enough.

He told Times Radio: “But the big issue… is that just moving to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 does not cut the mustard in any shape or form. And this rather vague commitment to move to 3% by the end of the next parliament, 2034, it just doesn’t stack up.

Former head of British Army Lord Dannatt and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: TIMES RADIO/GETTY)

“It’s a little bit like saying in 1938 to Adolf Hitler ‘please don’t attack us until 1946 because we are not going to be ready’.

“Frankly, if we had behaved like that we wouldn’t be speaking English this morning, would we.”

His comments came as the Prime Minister unveiled a long-awaited defence review today.

But the launch was overshadowed by questions about his plans to bump up defence spending.