Reform UK’s Laila Cunningham was given a few basic reminders about international law and sovereignty by Victoria Derbyshire during a Newsnight interview.
On Monday evening, Cunningham appeared on the BBC current affairs show to discuss her party’s plans to use the Royal Navy to push back small boat crossings in the Channel.
Reform UK had announced the policy on Monday, prompting immediate doubts from experts and politicians on all sides over its feasibility and practicality.
Many have pointed out the myriad of issues that Reform would encounter if they ordered the Navy to start returning small boats to French shores.
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In a statement, the French government said the plans were a “violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law.”
But it seems Reform simply don’t understand this.
The latest example of this has come with an appearance their London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham made on Newsnight.
When presenter Victoria Derbyshire explained that Reform would need France’s approval for migrants to be returned to their coast line, Cunningham ignored this.
“You would have to get France’s agreement,” Derbyshire said. “You say you don’t want to get into an argument with them – you might have to get into an argument with them and get their agreement otherwise you will not be able to do it, will you?”
But Cunningham skirted over this, arguing that her party’s claims these would be humanitarian rescues would mean that France would have no issue with the Royal Navy landing on French shores.
“On what basis would France refuse a humanitarian operation whose purpose it save lives,” Cunningham asked.
Derbyshire then asked a valid question about how Royal Marines would “disembark” migrants in small boats on French beaches, something Zia Yusuf had said could happen.
She asked: “Physically, practically, what would happen?”
Again, Cunningham’s answer lacked any substance.
Reacting to the interview, some said Cunningham had “zero idea of maritime laws.”