Lee Anderson's Reform UK migration plan sparks heated GMB interview and French rebuke

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson defended his party’s proposal, dubbed “Operation Fortress”, to use the Royal Navy to intercept small‑boat migrants crossing the English Channel and return them to France. The French government warned the plan would breach its sovereignty and international maritime law.

During a live interview from Calais on Good Morning Britain, Anderson repeatedly clashed with presenters Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins, rejecting the French objections and insisting the policy would "save lives". Viewers described the exchange as a "car crash" interview, noting Anderson’s refusal to acknowledge that the plan could not operate without French cooperation.