BBC's Charlie Stayt humiliates top Tory for trying to 'ridicule' Labour in brutal TV moment

The Tory shadow home secretary was humiliated in a TV interview after he called Keir Starmer's new migrant return deal a "gimmick".

Chris Philp attempted to criticise the PM'slandmark "one in, one out" returns deal with France to tackle the small boats crisis. The top Tory said it was a "laughable failure" and slammed Mr Starmer for cancelling the Conservative's failed Rwanda plan.

But BBC presenter Charlie Stayt forced Mr Philp to admit that "zero" people who crossed the Channel had been deported to Rwanda. In a brutal moment, he told the Tory MP that people find it hard to listen to him "ridiculing" Labour when the former Conservative government were so "manifestly and evidently unable to cope with the problem".

Reacting to Mr Starmer's new deal, Mr Philp told BBC Breakfast: “I’m afraid it’s another gimmick, just like Keir Starmer’s previous claims to smash the gangs, which is a laughable failure given we’ve now got record numbers crossing. It's a gimmick just like that.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer aims brutal swipe at Nigel Farage as 'groundbreaking' migrant return deal reached

“This scheme will only see one in 17 illegal immigrants crossing the channel getting sent back to France. The other 16 out of 17, that is to say 94%, will get to stay in the UK. And if 94% of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel get to stay in the UK, that is another gimmick, like his laughable, ridiculous claim to smash the gangs.”

But Stayt highlighted that this was the "first time" people crossing the channel were being returned to France. Mr Philp said a better scheme - such as the Tories' Rwanda plan - would've seen "100%" of people being deported.

But the Tory MP failed to acknowledge the former Conservative government's policy was besieged by legal challenges - and failed to ever forcibly remove anyone. It led Stayt to ask him: “Just remind us how many people were sent to Rwanda under the scheme that you proposed. How many people?”

Mr Philp replied: “Well I’ve already said the scheme didn’t start.” But Stayt insisted: “I would like you to answer that question.”

The shadow home secretary then admitted: “Zero. The answer was zero... The first flight was due to take off on July 24 last year, and just a few days before that very first flight was due to take off, Starmer cancelled it.”

READ MORE: 'I was in the room as Starmer hammered Farage over small boats - one thing stood out'

As Mr Philp ranted on about the Rwanda plan, a frustrated Stayt said he didn't want a "history lesson" from the Tory. In a savage moment, he told him: "You had 12 years in all to get a system working, and it didn't work. You mentioned the statistics a number of times - in 2022, you will know this very well, 45,755 people arrived to the UK via small boat crossings.

"That was when you were in power, and you will understand why for some people, it's a little bit difficult to listen to you ridiculing Labour's plans now, when you are so manifestly and evidently unable to cope with the problem yourself."

Mr Philp hit back and said the Tories did manage to get numbers down in 2023. He insisted the plan to deport migrants to Rwanda would have worked, as a similar scheme in Australia has seen success.

Mr Starmer yesterday announced a "groundbreaking" migrant returns agreement with France should be up and running within weeks. The Prime Minister warned that the scheme, agreed after crunch talks with Emmanuel Macron in London, will "break the model" of people smuggling gangs.

Under the plans, people who arrive by small boat will be sent back to France, while people with a legitimate claim to settle in the UK will arrive in exchange. The breakthrough - which will start as a pilot scheme - comes after years of trying to secure a returns agreement with France to replace legal rights lost when Britain left the EU.

In a joint press conference with Mr Macron, Mr Starmer said the new scheme will "finally turn the tables" on the small boats crisis. Mr Macron said his country is "totally committed" to stopping the boats.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper this morning refused to confirm the exact figures on the pilot scheme to return some migrants to France. According to reports in France, it will initially be capped at 50 a week - adding up to 2,600 a year.

Asked if it could mean 50 are returned one week and 100 the week after, Ms Cooper told Times Radio: "Yeah, the numbers are not fixed, even for this pilot phase that we are starting now. So this will be a programme that we will roll out step by step. And we will provide updates as we go."

READ MORE: Join our Mirror politics WhatsApp group to get the latest updates from Westminster