Former Sky News presenter Kay Burley and GB News' Ben Leo engaged in a furious social media exchange over the ongoing small boats crisis, sparked after 230 migrants were crammed onto one dinghy crossing the English Channel to Britain, the biggest single arrival of its kind.
Exchange escalates
Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf shared a photo of the packed boat captioned: "That’s not a 'small boat'. It’s an invasion." Kay responded: "I’ve seen longer queues in the ‘five items or fewer’ isle. Stop it, just stop it!" (sic)
Ben mocked the retired journalist, sarcastically responding: "Just stop it, guys. Stop noticing! Look away. Stop overreacting." He fumed: "Is it any wonder the country’s in the state it’s in when the media was led by this kind of mindset Not anymore. Thank goodness for GB News."
Retorts and context
Kay hit back: "I had to look you up, Ben. Bless your cotton socks." Ben fired back: "Don’t worry, I don’t seek notoriety," adding: "I’m just satisfied nobody listens to you anymore."
Smuggling gangs have spread towards Dieppe, France, to avoid police patrols in Calais and Dunkirk. Small boats used for crossings have been getting bigger as smugglers use fewer crossings with more passengers to evade authorities.
Official response
Despite this, migrant small-boat crossings to the UK this year are down, with around 14,000 making the journey between January and July. A Home Office spokesperson said: "This latest incident demonstrates the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by the criminal gangs facilitating these crossings, who continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels."
The spokesperson added: "We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020. But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40% more boots on the ground on French beaches."
