Britons are more inclined to confront France than deepen co-operation with Paris as a way of reducing small-boat crossings, exposing a political divide over Labour’s strategy for managing migration.
A YouGov poll found 41 per cent of respondents believed Britain was more likely to curb crossings by taking a tougher stance towards France, compared with 35 per cent who favoured closer cross-Channel co-operation.
The divide was particularly stark among Conservative and Reform UK voters. Some 67 per cent of Conservative supporters and 79 per cent of those who backed Reform UK in the 2024 election favoured a tougher approach.
By contrast, only 24 per cent of Labour and Liberal Democrat voters agreed, falling to 19 per cent among Green supporters.
The findings come as the government continues to rely on co-operation with France, including its “one-in, one-out” arrangement, under which some migrants arriving in Britain can be returned to France in exchange for the admission of others through legal routes.
Ministers have highlighted a 43 per cent fall in small-boat arrivals compared with the same point last year. Yet public perceptions appear considerably less favourable.
Two in five Britons told YouGov they believed crossings had increased, while only about one in five thought they had fallen. A further 21 per cent believed the numbers were broadly unchanged.
The results suggest the government faces a difficult communications challenge: even where official arrival figures are improving, a substantial proportion of voters remain unconvinced that its approach is working.
For Labour, the polling risks turning the Channel strategy into another test of whether closer European co-operation can deliver political as well as operational results.
Leave a Comment