Prime Minister Sunak looked uncomfortable as he was pressed on the Tories' promise to cut migration. It was pointed out that the figures have gone up, with this year being a record year for crossings.

Responding, Sunak said: "Yes, they were down last year by a third they were down over the last 12 months by a little less than that.

"This year what we've seen is one particular country, Vietnam, accounting for the majority. But actually the plans we've put in place last year show it is possible to make a difference.

"Before I got the job, everyone said it was impossible to get the numbers down at all. But we've showed that it is possible and now we have a clear plan to put a deterrent in place."

Pressed on the fact that this year is a record year, Sunak said: "If you look at the sum total of the time I've been PM, the numbers are down."