Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to tackle the migrant Channel crossings crisis is already collapsing, the policing minister has claimed. 

Chris Philp said Labour’s small boats blueprint had “no credibility” and argued voters do not want what he described as Sir Keir’s “open border policy”. 

Asked if the Government was now on the backfoot after Labour unveiled its plan yesterday, Mr Philp told Times Radio: “Not remotely. It would appear that Keir Starmer’s plans have collapsed with the first contact with reality.” 

He added: “I think his policy has no credibility and the British public don’t want to see 100,000 of Europe’s illegal immigrants being shipped over here under Keir Starmer’s open border policy.” 

One of the small boats measures Labour is considering is an EU-wide returns agreement. This is expected to see the UK agree to take a share of asylum seekers reaching Europe in return for the bloc taking back migrants who arrive illegally in Britain having crossed the Channel.

However, European diplomats have reportedly rubbished the suggestion that the EU could agree a bespoke deal with Labour, describing it as “delusional”.  

Sir Keir labelled the Tory claim that his plan could mean the UK taking in 100,000 EU migrants as “nonsense”. 

You can follow the latest updates below.