Politics · United Kingdom · 2 hrs ago
Farage rejects claim Reform would allow troops to use lethal force on migrant boats
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage denied his party would authorise routine lethal force against migrant boats crossing the Channel.
Reform MP Robert Jenrick had said the party would deploy the Royal Marines to take boats back to France and that troops could use lethal force if needed.
Farage said force would be used only if soldiers were fired at, and described Jenrick’s remarks as misconstrued.
Defence minister Luke Pollard called the proposal illegal and said troops could not follow an illegal order.
The dispute concerns Reform’s plan to return people arriving by boat to France if the party wins the next election.
Farage said the party would take people back to France and predicted the crossings would stop within two weeks.
Nigel Farage denied that a Reform UK government would authorise routine lethal force against migrant boats in the Channel.
Reform MP Robert Jenrick had said the Royal Marines should be deployed to take boats back to France and should be allowed to use lethal force if necessary.
Farage said force would be used only if soldiers were fired at, and said Jenrick had been “utterly misconstrued”.
Defence minister Luke Pollard called the comments “disgusting and illegal” and said the armed forces could not accept an illegal order.
Farage said Reform would return people crossing the Channel to France if it won the next election.
- Who
- Nigel Farage denied the claim; Reform MP Robert Jenrick had made it. Defence minister Luke Pollard criticised the comments.
- What
- Farage said a Reform government would not routinely authorise lethal force against migrant boats.
- When
- The comments and responses were reported on 13 October 2026.
- Where
- The proposed action concerns migrant crossings in the English Channel and returning boats to France.
- Why
- Farage said force could be met with force if soldiers were fired at; Jenrick said allowing force would end the problem quickly.
Reform UK
Luke Pollard
Use of force
Reform UK
Farage said force would be used only if soldiers were fired at. Jenrick said the Royal Marines should be able to use lethal force if necessary.
Luke Pollard
Pollard said armed forces must not take military action against civilians or accept an illegal order.
Returning boats to France
Reform UK
Farage said Reform would pick people up and take them back to France if it won the next election.
Luke Pollard
Pollard called the proposal abhorrent to military and British values.
Robert Jenrick told TalkTV the Royal Marines should be deployed in the Channel and allowed to use lethal force if needed.
Nigel Farage denied that a Reform UK government would authorise routine lethal force against migrant crossings.
Defence minister Luke Pollard called the comments “disgusting and illegal” and said the armed forces could not accept an illegal order.
- Party
- Reform UK
- MP who made the claim
- Robert Jenrick
- Proposed force
- Lethal force, if needed, by the Royal Marines
- Proposed destination for returned boats
- France
- Defence minister
- Luke Pollard
What people are saying
If they need to use lethal force, then they’ll be able to do so
Anybody wearing British military uniform who gets fired at has the right to respond.
within two weeks of boats being taken back to France, the boats will stop coming.
We do not shoot unarmed civilians. We do not take military action against civilians.
Sources
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