Reform UK has said it would use the Royal Navy to stop small boats crossing the English Channel, setting out a policy that would put the armed forces at the centre of its approach to Channel crossings.
Zia Yusuf, the party’s home affairs spokesman, said the proposal would be the “largest military operation in the English Channel since World War Two”. The comment underlines the scale at which the party says it would seek to respond to small boat journeys.
The plan, as described in the supplied material, would involve the Royal Navy being used to stop small boats in the Channel. No further operational details were provided, including how such action would be carried out, what rules would govern it, or when the policy would be implemented.
The statement places Channel crossings within Reform UK’s home affairs agenda and signals that the party would favour a direct naval role in attempting to prevent small boats from reaching the UK.
No government response, party policy document, costings or wider reaction were included in the supplied material. The latest stated position is that Reform UK says it would use the Royal Navy as part of its plan to stop small boats.
