Afternoon summary
One person has died after a boat carrying dozens of refugees ran into difficulties while attempting to cross the Channel, French authorities have said. At least 66 people were onboard the craft when it was spotted about 5 miles (8km) off the coast of Grand-Fort-Philippe at about 12.30am local time on Friday, Premar Manche, a French agency that monitors the Channel, said. Rescue ships reached the boat about 30 minutes later and one person onboard was pronounced dead. Another person in a critical condition was taken by helicopter to hospital in Calais, the agency said.
The chair of the Labour party, Anneliese Dodds, said there “needs to be far more done to break up” the gangs that are facilitating boat crossings. Asked for her reaction to the confirmation that a person has died attempting to cross the Channel on Friday, Dodds told Sky News: “It is obviously absolutely awful, heartbreaking news. One can barely imagine what it must have been like in the middle of the night with freezing cold water and the terror and fear for people on that vessel. And I think yet again this underlines really that the criminal people-smuggling gangs are putting individuals in absolutely appalling danger.”
The British government has confirmed that a person died following the incident in the Channel but said it would not comment further at the moment. A UK government spokesperson said: “We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters that has tragically resulted in a loss of life.”
Meanwhile, the science minister has said reports that the UK government is considering curbing social media use among children is “speculation”. Andrew Griffith said the prime minister Rishi Sunak’s administration “isn’t a government that philosophically bans things for the sake of it”. Asked whether he could provide more details following reports that restrictions could be placed on under-16s using social media platforms, Griffith told LBC: “I can’t because this is speculation. At this point, it is about a consultation that is rumoured to happen in the new year.”
Rishi Sunak will hold a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Ital, Giorgia Meloni, and Albania, Edi Rama, during a visit to Rome on Saturday, PA Media reports. A Downing Street spokesperson said the talks “will be focused on our joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration and organised crime”, as well as “other shared challenges, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza”.
Bus and train drivers have begun a 48-hour strike over pay in Northern Ireland, disrupting travel for schoolchildren, commuters and shoppers in the latest crisis over public services. The trade unions Unite, GMB and Siptu started the action just after midnight, disrupting Translink bus, glider and train services on what is usually one of the busiest weekends before Christmas. Another strike is due on 22 December. Brian Warke, a bus driver at Derry’s Pennyburn bus depot, said drivers were struggling with bills. “People can’t pay their mortgages,” he told the BBC. “We have been offered a 0% pay rise this year from April. And that’s why we have had to make this decision today to come out together.”
Tony Blair banned foxhunting in 2004 after coming under pressure from an animal rights group the Labour party had accepted a large donation from, Peter Mandelson has claimed. Lord Mandelson, the peer and former Labour MP, said Blair included a commitment to hold a free vote on hunting with dogs in the 1997 manifesto after receiving money from an animal welfare fund. The former prime minister has said the foxhunting ban, which was finally enacted in 2004, was one of the policies he most regrets. Debate has since raged about whether the ban should be repealed, with the Conservative party previously having promised to hold a free vote on whether to do so, while Labour says it will tighten loopholes in the ban.
Updated
Rishi Sunak will hold a trilateral meeting with Italian premier Giorgia Meloni and Albania’s Edi Rama during a visit to Rome on Saturday, PA reports.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said the talks “will be focused on our joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration and organised crime”, as well as “other shared challenges such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza”.
“As you’ve heard from the prime minister direct, he is clear that this is a shared global challenge and it is important that countries work together to address it, just as we are with Rwanda and with other like-minded countries such as Italy and Albania.”
Asked whether a deal to process asylum seekers in Albania could be up for discussion, she said:
The focus will be on our existing partnerships and work with both Italy and with Albania, and the work that’s already ongoing with them on illegal migration, and the returns deal, for example, with Albania that we already have.
