Andy Burnham's small boats record worse than Keir Starmer's in first three weeks

Andy Burnham's small boats record is worse than any Sir Keir Starmer's in his first three weeks in No10, GB News can reveal.

Mr Burnham, who spoke to GB News about the migrant crisis yesterday, has presided over 3,003 new arrivals on British shores.

The wave of crossings was propelled by the emergence of so-called mega-dinghies in the Channel, with a record-breaking 230 arriving in one vessel on August 10.

GB News can now reveal Mr Burnham's daily average for arrivals stands at 130 in the first 22 days since the ex-Manchester Mayor succeeded Sir Keir on July 20.

Despite Sir Keir overseeing an eyewatering 77,183 small boat arrivals, the worst of any Prime Minister, the ex-Labour leader's daily average stood at 103.

Meanwhile, 65,811 Channel crossings during Boris Johnson's 1,140-day stint as Prime Minister equate to around 58 per day.

Rishi Sunak, who was Prime Minister for 619 days, oversaw 50,637 small boat arrivals, putting his daily average at 82.

However, Mr Burnham took over from Sir Keir in the summer, meaning a disproportionate wave of new arrivals is expected in his first few weeks in power.

Despite seasonal differences, Sir Keir's first three weeks in power in July 2024 also saw fewer crossings, at 2,628, compared to Mr Burnham's 3,003.

An ex-Home Office source told GB News: “It’s no longer a small boats crisis – it's a big boat invasion.

"These mega-dinghies are frankly scary and they’ll only get bigger.

"The Tories failed abysmally but somehow things have got even worse under Burnham.

"He doesn’t have a plan and the country still doesn’t have a border.”

There has been a tenfold increase in the average number of illegal migrants per boat since 2018.

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The figure stood at just seven in 2018 before leaping to 49 in 2023.

A staggering 72 now cram into vessels on average, up from 62 last year.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told GB News: “When Andy Burnham said a few weeks ago that everything was fine, he had clearly lost touch with reality.

"Illegal immigrants on Burnham Boats have come flooding across every day in their hundreds on days when the sea has been calm.

"Andy Burnham has a worse record than Keir Starmer for illegal immigrants so far and he has no plan to fix it.

"It doesn’t help when Angela Rayner claims they’re mostly women and children – when in fact last year 85 per cent were adult men, many of whom have gone on to commit murder and rape.

"Andy Burnham should urgently adopt the Conservative plan to leave the ECHR and deport all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival. Then the crossings would stop."

Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf added: “Andy Burnham has a worse small boat record than Keir Starmer, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak in the first 22 days of their premiership, yet this morning he literally failed to commit to ending the small boat crisis by the next General Election.

“Britain is owed a Prime Minister who will actually put an end to this crisis and pull the plug on the incentives driving migrants across the Channel – not another feeble politician making excuses for why they cannot.

“Under a Reform UK Government, our border will be impenetrable. We will launch Operation Fortress to ensure that not a single unauthorised vessel makes it to the UK, and we will detain and deport anyone who is here illegally.”

Despite GB News uncovering Mr Burnham's torrid record, the Prime Minister continues to point out that small boat crossings have dropped compared to 2025.

There has been a reduction of around 40 per cent in the first seven months of 2026, still leaving this year on track for between 25,000 and 30,000 small boat crossings.

Mr Burnham also insists the French authorities have put more boots on the ground after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a new deal earlier this year.

Speaking to GB News for the first time yesterday, Mr Burnham refused to commit to ending the small boats crisis in 2029.

He said: "It would be wrong, I think, for me to make a prediction now based on a timeline.

"I mean, I just can only promise to people what I know I can do and what I know I can deliver.

"And that is a relentless focus on this issue to deal with the public concern.

"I heard it on doorstep after doorstep in Makerfield, and I said to the people there and I say it to the country 'I hear what you say'.

"I will be completely focused on the issue. There are more measures that we're bringing through, but crossings are down, immigration is down. There is real progress to report."

GB News has approached the Home Office for comment.