Portsmouth councillors rejected a Reform UK motion to stop further small-boat landings after 120 people arrived at Eastney on 6 September. Leader Steve Pitt called it a “political stunt”; proposer George Madgwick said it sent a democratic message to government.
Pitt said the council had already asked the government not to use Portsmouth as a landing place and had received a response saying that would not happen. The Home Office and Department for Transport letter read at the meeting said it was “not the government’s intention” to make Portsmouth a routine landing site, but did not rule it out entirely.
Madgwick said the motion also sought reimbursement of the costs of the Eastney landing, consultation on future decisions and condemnation of violence against emergency services. He said he agreed the government had “absolutely failed” but denied his motion was a stunt. The Home Office said contingency plans were in place for further crossings elsewhere along the coast and it would respond quickly to changes in criminal smuggler gangs’ tactics.
