GB News star Eamonn Holmes has launched a scathing attack on the Labour government, accusing ministers of deliberately avoiding appearances on GB News whilst promoting what he considers a deceptive immigration agreement with France.
During a People's Channel discussion about the newly implemented UK-France migrant arrangement, Holmes expressed his outrage at what he perceives as governmental dishonesty.
"Katherine, you say 'make a pledge', I say make a lie," he declared.
"That is the problem and that is what abhors me. You get these politicians who either tell a lie or dodge a channel like GB News so they don't have to go down that road."
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|Eamonn Holmes accused the Government of not facing up to GB News
The veteran broadcaster's frustration centred on ministers' reluctance to face scrutiny on his network whilst promoting their immigration policies elsewhere.
GB News Senior Political Correspondent Katherine Forster delivered a damning assessment of the agreement during the broadcast, comparing it to previous failed immigration initiatives.
"It feels like Groundhog Day. The Government makes an eye-catching pledge, trumpets it loudly and when you look at the detail, it all starts to unravel," she told viewers.
Forster highlighted significant vulnerabilities in the scheme's design, noting that minors cannot be returned and anyone making human rights claims must be retained in the UK. She pointed out that the entire programme can be halted with just seven days' notice or terminated completely within a month.
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The correspondent also emphasised that the pilot scheme anticipates processing merely fifty individuals weekly, with British taxpayers covering transport costs in both directions.
Perhaps most alarming in Forster's analysis was her revelation about the data-sharing arrangements between the two nations. She expressed disbelief at provisions stating that France would select which individuals to send to Britain without providing crucial personal information about them.
"It sounds like, and I can't quite believe this, that France will choose who to send and we won't get vital information about the men. I find that mind-blowing," Forster stated during the broadcast.
The agreement explicitly states that "under no circumstances will personal data be sent from France to the UK" regarding those selected for transfer to Britain. This arrangement means British authorities would receive individuals chosen by French officials without access to their background information or security details.
GB NEWS
|Eamonn Holmes criticised the Government
Eamonn drew parallels between Labour's current approach and their previous criticisms of Conservative immigration policies, particularly regarding legal challenges.
He noted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer, having worked as a human rights lawyer, would have been aware of potential legal obstacles.
The presenter questioned the government's diplomatic gestures towards French President Emmanuel Macron, asking viewers: "What's all that hugging and kissing of Emmanuel Macron for?"
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp echoed these concerns, describing the scheme as "completely unworkable" and predicting exploitation by human rights lawyers - ironically the same criticism Labour had levelled at the Rwanda plan for years.
Eamonn concluded by expressing his frustration with what he perceives as Governmental deception: "I feel like we're being spun a lie and we're expected to say, 'you're a Government minister, you must be telling the truth', when it's a lie."