Number of Channel migrants reaching 50,000 under Labour is ‘unacceptable’, says education minister – UK politics live

<p>Jacqui Smith, an education minister, says number shows ‘criminal gangs have an absolute foothold in the tragic trafficking of people’</p><p><strong>Rachel Reeves</strong> has been taking questions from journalists in Belfast. She says Northern Ireland is “absolutely crucial” for the UK’s growth prospects, pointing to the nation’s strong TV, film and video game industries.</p><p>The chancellor claimed stability has returned to the UK’s economy despite mounting concerns about its ability to respond to shocks amid global uncertainty from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/07/trump-tariffs-come-into-force-taxes-us-exports">Donald Trump’s trade war</a>. Job losses are rising, fewer employers are advertising for staff and inflation remains high.</p><p><em>If you look at the growth numbers in the first quarter of this year, we were the fastest growing economy in the whole of the G7. Whilst the US economy shrunk in the first quarter of this year, the UK economy grew.</em></p><p><em>We’ll get data for the second quarter of this year later this week. But we are creating more jobs, 384,000 additional jobs compared with a year ago, wages are rising at a faster rate than inflation, putting more money in people’s pockets.</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/aug/12/small-boat-crossings-labour-migration-reform-uk-politics-latest-updates-news">Continue reading...</a>