Government condemns ‘thuggish behaviour’ following Portsmouth protestpublished at 07:32 BST
07:32 BST
Image source, Eddie Mitchell
The government has condemned the “intimidating and thuggish behaviour” of protesters in Portsmouth last night.
“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder,” a spokesperson says, adding: “We thank the emergency services who are working to safely manage this situation.”
Conservative MP for nearby Isle of Wight East, Joe Robertson, says it is “extremely concerning” to see “an illegal migrant crossing this far west”.
A group of five local Labour MPs released a statement thanking HM Coastguard and RNLI crews for their “continued dedication to rescuing all in peril on the sea”.
“This Labour Government is cracking down on the evil, criminal smuggler gangs… but we’re not complacent. We still have an enormous job ahead of us,” the statement issued by Satvir Kaur, Amanda Martin, Stephen Morgan, Darren Paffey and Richard Quigley reads.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage writes in a post on X: “This week Andy Burnham struck an agreement for 45 more officers on French beaches… This is a joke. Only Reform will send the boats back.”