Boris Johnson's Brexit blunder hampered small boats response, says Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer told The Mirror that the Tory Brexit deal means the UK can no longer lead operations to tackle people traffickers and means vital intelligence isn't being shared

Boris Johnson's botched Brexit deal has hampered the UK's ability to tackle the small boats crisis, Keir Starmer said.

The PM said the agreement cost Britain its ability to lead operations against people smugglers - as he pleaded with world leaders to help win the "war" on trafficking gangs. Mr Starmer will this week call on European leaders to agree a new security pact - which would restore access to real-time intelligence networks the UK was cut adrift from.

He also vowed to treat people smugglers like terrorists with tough new powers. In a sharp reprimand for Mr Johnson, he said the Brexit deal should have seen the UK retain stronger powers to protect its borders.

The PM told The Mirror : "I do think when it comes to security, we can do better than the deal we've got and that's what we're pursuing. I don't think the deal we got was a particularly good one.

"I don't think we did as well as we should have done when we came to the question of cross border, crime and security, and that's why we want to improve on it."

And he went on: "I'll give you one example - when we were in the EU, we could lead on operations, and at the moment we can't. We're very good in the UK.

"I don't think we did as well as we should have done when we came to the question of cross border, crime and security, and that's why we want to improve on it."

And he went on: "I'll give you one example - when we were in the EU, we could lead on operations, and at the moment we can't. We're very good in the UK.

"We've got very good intelligence, we've got very good law enforcement. We should actually be really proud of what we're doing in the UK.

"But when UK leads something, in my experience, and I did this for five years, it works well. And I'm very keen to get the UK into a leadership position when it comes to the actual operations, particularly in relation to smuggling and putting people into small boats across the channel."

On Thursday he will meet leaders of the European Political Community in Hungary demanding better access to crucial data and intelligence.

In a speech to law enforcement chiefs from over 170 countries at the Interpol conference in Glasgow he said people smugglers will be treated "like terrorists". He appealed for help winning the "war" on small boat crossings.

The PM said crushing the criminal gangs fuelling the deadly trade would be a "victory for humanity". He pledged border officers and the National Crime Agency (NCA) would be given tough new powers to tackle gangs behind small boat crossings.

Speaking to delegates from over 170 countries, he said: "If together we can win this war against the people smugglers, then this gathering will have achieved a victory for humanity."

So far this year 31,094 people are known to have reached the UK by making the dangerous Channel crossing, while at least 58 are known to have died.

He refused to be drawn on when small boat crossings would fall, saying he wouldn't make "arbitrary" pledges. The PM said: "The last Prime Minister said he was going to stop the boats, the implication being he would have stopped them by last December.

"Simply saying it doesn't bring it about. Putting in a place a serious plan does. I want to make real progress. I want to see those numbers coming down. I do not want anyone getting in a boat to come across the Channel."

Asked what the new powers he plans could achieve, Mr Starmer said: “With counter-terrorism powers you can get in with the intelligence beforehand, the preparatory acts, in a much more meaningful way and get into some of the information that they are holding, particularly information held on phones etc and seizure of phones.

“What that will give us is the capability at speed to get ahead of what they're doing so it's more in the upstream work that the counterterrorism powers really make a difference. There are other powers that can then be put in place which don't necessarily require a conviction where you can restrict the activities of individuals.

“It's those sorts of powers I'm most interested in, that's what the legislation will be dealing with."

In a speech to Interpol delegates announced the new Border Security Command would be given an extra £75million - doubling the cash already committed. On top of that the National Crime Agency (NCA) will be given £58million.