Full Breakdown
Farage and Bardella Sign Memorandum Aiming to End Channel Small-Boat Crossings
9/5/2026, 12:30:04 AM
The Signed Memorandum
At Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham, party leader Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella, president of France’s National Rally, signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding. The document states that the United Kingdom would intercept boats launched from French shores that enter British territorial waters and return the persons on board to France, where they would “ordinarily” be repatriated to their home countries in accordance with French law. The agreement is presented as a framework for cooperation should Reform UK win the next UK election and the National Rally form the French government.
Context of the Small-Boat Issue
The memorandum was unveiled amid ongoing public and political concern over the “small-boat” crossings through the English Channel. Reform UK has pledged to bring its “small-boat crisis” to an end within 100 days of taking power, a timeline highlighted by the party’s press releases. The party’s broader platform includes deploying the Royal Navy to intercept and return migrants, a policy that has been a focal point of debate in recent years.
Official Statements & Responses
Farage described the pact as a new “entente cordiale” between the two parties and said it would “stop the boats forever.” He emphasized that the wording of the memorandum is “legalese,” noting the need for clear legal mechanisms. Both leaders linked the agreement to historic Anglo-French accords and pledged to “break the smuggler business model.”
Criticism & Opposition
Labour officials dismissed the memorandum as “meaningless” and “pointless posturing,” arguing that the government’s existing border work has already reduced small-boat crossings to their lowest level in years. They contended that the document lacks concrete enforcement mechanisms and relies on speculative future election outcomes.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We must put an end to these deadly routes, we must break the smuggler business model and together we must take control of our borders.” — Jordan Bardella, National Rally president
