Shameful Ignorance.

Labour minister admits he was wrong to claim most small boats migrants are 'babies, children and women.'

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones faced mounting criticism after his erroneous comments on BBC Question Time.

Georgia Bell

3 days ago

COMMENTS

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

A senior Labour minister has publicly corrected his claim that most people arriving in Britain in small boats are “children, babies and women” after mounting criticism. Just 9 per cent were adult women and 16 per cent were under 18, in cases where age and sex were recorded.

In response to Mr Yusuf, Mr Jones said: “When you’re there on the site seeing these dinghies put together by these organised criminal gangs which are clearly not safe, and when you see that the majority of people in these boats are children, babies and women…”His claim was quickly seized upon by Reform leader Nigel Farage, who reposted the clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, sang: “This is simply not true. Another clueless Labour minister.