Sir Keir Starmer was mocked over his pledge to "smash the gangs" by a Tory panellist during tonight's BBC Question Time. Welsh Tory MS Darren Millar said the "only things he's smashed are the records" when it comes to the number of migrants crossing the Channel on small boats.

It came as the show filmed in Llandudno, north Wales, discussed why the figures are so high. Mr Millar said: "Keir Starmer said he would smash the gangs, the only things he's smashed are the records in terms of the number of people crossing the Channel.

"We've got to put an end to this and that's why I believe we need another deterrent such as the Rwanda plan to be resurrected.

"In fact even Keir Starmer himself is looking at processing in a third country now.

"Of course every step of the way Keir Starmer and the rest of the Labour Party were voting against the measures to deal with this problem, that's why we're in this mess now and that's why those Channel crossings are up."

Host Fiona Bruce jumped in to highlight that no asylum seekers were sent to Rwanda under the Conservative scheme.

Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones then interrupted: "You wasted £700 million."

Mr Millar said: "It's the fact the Rwanda scheme was there as a deterrent, that's the point I was making, that is why those figures came down."

Asked if Labour was blaming the weather, Ms Davies-Jones said: "The people to blame here at the criminal gangs, the infrastructure that has been allowed to build up for people to exploit vulnerable individuals and conduct these heinous crimes."