Robert Jenrick condemned over calls for Royal Navy to use ‘lethal force’ against migrants on small boats
The Reform MP’s calls for lethal force have been called "disgusting and illegal"
Robert Jenrick has sparked outrage after saying that the Royal Navy should be allowed to use “lethal force” against people crossing the Channel on small boats.
In an interview with TalkTV, Jenrick said that Reform is the only party with “the courage” to deploy the Royal Marines in the Channel.
Jenrick stated: “If they need to use lethal force, then they’ll be able to do so”, before adding: “That’s obviously not what we want to see happen.”
Jenrick was reacting to comments made by former Royal Marines commander, Julian Thompson, who said that if it was up to him, he would machine gun small boats and that this would stop small boat crossings “straight away”.
Responding to Jenrick’s calls for the Royal Navy to be able to open fire on small boats, defence minister Luke Pollard, said: “That’s disgusting and illegal.”
He added: “Our Royal Navy are not allowed, as all our armed forces aren’t, to accept an illegal order. We do not shoot unarmed civilians.”
“We do not take military action against civilians,” adding, “when you go into the detail of this, it is abhorrent to British military values, it’s abhorrent to British values and frankly it’s illegal and disgusting.”
Pollard went on to say: “I don’t think anyone should give this any truck because we can all see what this is, it’s a simple attempt to distract from Reform’s internal woes by seeking to put a dead cat on the table.”
Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf have since claimed that Jenrick meant that the Navy should be able to use lethal force if they’re fired at. However, this is not what Jenrick said at the time.
Last week, Yusuf also said Reform would allow the Navy to use lethal force.
He said: “A Reform government will immediately deploy His Majesty’s Royal Marines with the following orders: DO NOT LET A SINGLE INVADER REACH OUR SHORES.
“If people smugglers resist, our boys will be authorised to use lethal force. We will take our country back.”
Reform’s home affairs spokesperson has now rowed back on the proposal. Yusuf told the BBC today that lethal force would only be used by the Navy “In the event there are people on those boats with weapons, with firearms, who think nothing of shedding innocent life”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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