Farage wants the Navy to turn back migrant boats. This is why it won't be easy

Nigel Farage is facing a backlash from military insiders over his plans to use the Royal Navy to turn back small boats, The i Paper has learnt.

The Reform UK leader has pledged that if he wins power at the next election, his government will order military vessels to block boats from crossing the English Channel in a bid to crack down on uncontrolled migration.

The party argues that the plan, to be put in place within three months of taking office, is a legitimate use of the military because it is part of bolstering the UK’s defence and national security.

Caroline’s mother Christine has called for an apology from the press and police over how she was treated before she died.

She made a documentary called Search for the Truth for Disney+ last year

Caroline Flack’s death has become a tragic parable about cancel culture, responsible use of social media, the intrusion of the tabloid press, the sensation of reality TV and the misunderstandings and stigmas about mental ill health, from which we were all supposed to learn and in which each of us who watched on as voyeurs was complicit. 

The summer’s first full Moon is lighting up skies across the country this week.

To see the Stawberry Moon, look towards the south-east after sunset. That will be after around 9.20pm on Tuesday, 30 June. The moon will track southwards through the night, setting in the south-west before sunrise on Wednesday.

Angry people on social media claim the current high temperatures are nothing special but they ignore the long-term trends

Millions of Britons could pay higher energy bills than they need to if they do not submit a meter reading before the price cap rises on Wednesday.

The price cap, set by the regulator Ofcom, is set to rise, affecting 5.3 million households on a standard tariff.

How much the price cap will increase from Wednesday, 1 July.

The average gas and electricity bill will jump to £1,862 a year.

There are currently 27 fixed deals available that are cheaper than July’s price cap, with average savings of £285, so act now to save yourself money.  The price cap is going up, but your bills don’t have to.

People are future-proofing their homes for sustainability and to protect themselves against unpredictable energy costs

People who have a strong chest and back may be less likely to have a heart attack, according to a new study.

Researchers said that people with strong pecs, back muscles and torso are also less likely to die within the next decade.

Experts from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said that it is “not just about being muscly”, as the size of people’s muscles was not linked to their risk of a heart attack or early death.

It said that all kinds of exercise, and not just strength training, can improve muscle density.

It is fascinating that people’s skeletal muscle could be linked to their risk of having a heart attack. I am now personally interested in exercises like cycling, planks and pilates, which I enjoy and may have an effect on these muscles.

What are the things that you do to keep yourself healthy? Your mind might jump straight to the run you do a couple of times a week, or the choices you make about what to eat, the amount of sleep you manage to get each night or the friends who make you feel seen and heard. And you’d be right. These are all things that keep us healthy.

But staff say many people treat their shops like a tip.

Here they share the most useful donations they get, and the
ones that drive them mad.

The quality of donations over the last year has diminished.

Claire Stockman, head of retail for St
Luke’s Hospice [pictured], says many donations include used items from fast fashion like Boohoo and Primark, which they cannot sell for more than £2, if at all.

of what comes into St Luke’s Hospice is unsellable, Stockman says.

She adds its soiled, damaged beyond
repair or smelly.

Harriet, a volunteer at Crisis in Dalston,
says people bring in clothes that are dirty and stained – things that they cannot sell
on Vinted.

She also sees dirty kitchenware and technology that no longer works.

There was a box donated after someone’s family had passed and in it were all these medals. I researched them and the whole collection ended up going for £2,340…

A good donation is anything new with tags on, anything that hasn’t been opened, or higher quality items.

Items that have been well looked after are more likely to sell and generate a better price for charity too.

Harriet adds that knick-knacks and wine glasses are surprise hits in her branch.

Here, psychologists, career consultants and sleep experts give their best advice on how
to beat the gloom that the
work week is looming…

Pave the way on Friday

Psychologist Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack says to wrap up tasks and not to leave big or difficult things for Monday. And write a to-do list for the next week so you know what to expect when you return after the weekend.

Get outside early

Doctor Naheed Ali says getting out on a Sunday morning – not sleeping late – helps regulate the circadian rhythm that can become skewed over the weekend.

On Sunday spend time away from technology to allow yourself a personal reset away from doom scrolling.

Put yourself in the best position to rest by avoiding large meals, screens and caffeine.

If possible don’t stack your Mondays with high-pressure tasks.

Don’t just save joyful things for the weekend. On lunch breaks, try to do something you enjoy.

If the Sunday scaries are constant, listen to them. If every Sunday fills you with dread and nothing seems to quell it it’s worth asking if it’s the job, the culture or the career itself. No one should spend half their weekend bracing for impact… ” says Victoria McLean

But no country’s energy system is 100 per cent secure and large-scale blackouts, although rare, are possible.

Here’s how to prepare, and what could happen, if we do have a blackout.

If the UK’s power went down tomorrow, these are the ways it is likely to impact you first.

For EV owners that are already on the road, Professor Keith Bell, who works in electricity planning, recommends that those with an EV with reasonable charge use it as a generator, like your own store of electricity.

In the case of the power system going down, petrol isn’t a totally safe option as queues at petrol stations could be huge and places are likely to run out of fuel.

The longer the power takes to return the worse things are likely to get. In 2021 Storm Arwen physically damaged power lines across the UK.

During the 1977 New York blackout, which lasted 25 hours, there was civil unrest, resulting in widespread looting and arson, although intense heatwaves are thought to have exacerbated the situation.

To get updates during a power cut – a car radio can be used, but in severe weather it might be safer to stay inside.

A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended.

The Government recommends opting for torches over candles, for safety reasons.

Using screens in a way that benefits your child’s development is key and balancing educational content and entertainment with offline activities ensures a well-rounded routine.

For younger children, try scavenger hunts, garden games and nature walks. For older ones, hikes
and biking trips.

Designated screen-free times helps children develop a routine that balances screen use with other activities.

It’s an excellent way
to bond and develop critical thinking skills.

Getting creative, through drawing, painting or model construction, enhances cognitive skills and offers an alternative to screens.

Arrange playdates or group activities with friends, or for older kids try an overnight camping trip in the garden.

Showing that you value offline time encourages your children to do the same.

Implement a reward system where screen time is earned through positive behaviour. 

Discuss the importance of balancing screen time with your children so they understand the reasons behind the rules.

But former generals and defence insiders are uncomfortable at the armed forces being used for this aim and warn that the plan could even flout international treaties.

Under the previous Conservative government in 2022, former prime minister Boris Johnson attempted to introduce similar “pushback” orders for the Navy but the plan was dropped after fierce resistance from the service.

Although a “Burnham bounce’ may see a boost for Labour in the polls if, as expected, the former Greater Manchester mayor becomes Prime Minister, forecasts in the wake of last month’s local elections suggested Reform could be the largest party at the next election and could be in a position to form a government.

Farage has said that one of his first acts as prime minister would be leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which would make it easier to take tougher action against small boats.

Yet experts said a Reform government would also have to leave or derogate from the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which states under Article 98 that all vessels must rescue anyone in danger on the seas.

The measure, which could cover migrants in small boats, says ships must “render assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lost, to proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons in distress”.

Article 98 also states that a captain should “proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons in distress, if informed of their need of assistance, in so far as such action may reasonably be expected of him” and “after a collision, to render assistance to the other ship, its crew and its passengers and, where possible, to inform the other ship of the name of his own ship, its port of registry and the nearest port at which it will call.”

A former naval chief said any UK government would find it difficult to impose an order on the Royal Navy that would put migrants at risk.

The military insider said: “If migrants are in danger, then they have to be rescued. They would need new laws otherwise.”

And Lord Richard Dannatt, a former head of the Army, told The i Paper: “I think this type of activity is best left to the Border Force.”

Former army officer and Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty warned that the Royal Navy is already over-stretched and should not be engaged in patrolling the Channel for small boats.

Under the new Defence Investment Plan, an original decision to upgrade the navy’s fleet of Type 45 destroyers has been overturned and a new range of cheaper warships has been ordered.

Obese-Jecty said: “In order to use the Royal Navy, Reform would have to withdraw from UNCLOS as under Article 98 there is a duty to render assistance and facilitate the rescue of persons in distress.

“That’s quite aside from the question of which Royal Navy vessels could be spared and how their powers would be any different to the Border Force in these circumstances.

“Once again Reform appears to be struggling when it comes to understanding Defence matters without any expertise in their ranks.”

“Reform cannot be taken seriously on defence matters and the absence of a defence spokesperson only reinforces that.”

However, the former naval chief said Reform could introduce a law to permit the Navy to turn back small boats if their occupants were attempting to cross and they were not in distress.

They added: “I don’t think it would stretch naval resources, as it would be fast speedboats that could do it, not huge aircraft carriers.”

In January 2022, former prime minister Boris Johnson and his home secretary, Priti Patel, announced they were handing operational control of the Channel over to the military under a plan dubbed Operation Isotrope.

The plan was quietly dropped four months later after a backlash from the Navy, refugee charities and a threatened High Court challenge.

Reform would likely face similar resistance if they attempted to relaunch the plans.

Reform declined to comment on the fresh warnings from military insiders.

But in an interview with GB News last month, Farage said stopping small boat crossings was “vital” because it “would make women and girls safer in Britain”, was important for national security and would reestablish “trust between voters and Government”.

He revealed he had struck an informal deal with Jordan Bardella, the president of the far-right National Rally, who is on course to win the French presidency in 2027, to allow the Royal Navy to tow back boats trying to cross illegally into southern England.

Farage said: “The last six prime ministers have said publicly, on camera and to you, ‘if you come here illegally, you won’t be allowed to stay’. But the truth is, they are.

“So if Reform were to win the next general election, that is the thing we would have to solve in three months.”

He said the UK “would have to be” outside the ECHR for this to happen, adding: “We are going to have to crack on.”

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment.