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Rupert Lowe reports charity rowers to coastguard as possible ‘illegal migrants’
The independent MP Rupert Lowe has agreed to donate £1,000 to a charity after mistaking its rowing crew, including a former Royal Marine, for “illegal migrants”, Kevin Rawlinson reports.
Here is the message that Lowe posted on X last night about the “illegal migrants”.
Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW.
Authorities alerted, and I am urgently chasing.
If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported.
Enough is enough. Britain needs mass deportations. NOW. pic.twitter.com/1mCg0ljRQ4
— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) August 7, 2025
Quite why Lowe thought small boat migrants might be landing at Great Yarmouth is a mystery. It is 90 nautical miles from Calais (from where the boats normally leave), and 85 nautical miles from Dover (where they normally land, or are brought shore).
And here is the message Lowe posted this morning owning up to his mistake.
Good news. False alarm! The unknown vessel was charity rowers, thank goodness.
As a well done to the crew, I’ll donate £1,000 to their charity – raising money for MND.
Keep going, and watch out for any real illegal migrants!
We received a huge number of urgent complaints from constituents – I make no apologies over being vigilant for my constituents. It is a national crisis.
No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal migrants!
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Updated at 04.24 EDT
Keir Starmer denounces Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City, saying it will ‘only bring more bloodshed’
Good morning. Keir Starmer has this morning denounced the Israeli government’s decision to take over Gaza City, agreed overnight, saying it will “only bring more bloodshed”. He has been under growing pressure for a long time, from within the Labour party, as well as from the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the Corbyn/Sultana independent leftwingers, to be more critical of Israel, and that led to the decision last week to recognise the state of Palestine. This morning’s statement, which will almost certainly have no practical impact but which is marginally stronger than what Starmer has been saying in the past, is fresh evidence of a shift in thinking.
In his statement, Starmer said:
The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.
Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions. What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm.
Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis.
But without both sides engaging in good faith in negotiations, that prospect is vanishing before our eyes. Our message is clear: a diplomatic solution is possible, but both parties must step away from the path of destruction.
Amy Sedghi has more coverage, with the global perspective, on our Middle East live blog.
There is not much happening in UK politics today, but the only item in the diary is David Lammy, the foreign secretary, hosting JD Vance, the US vice-president, at Chevening. Vance is starting a family holiday in England, and the visit is mostly social (Daniel Boffey has a good account of the counter-intuitive Lammy/Vance friendship here), but the two men are also due to have a formal bilateral at around lunchtime and Gaza is bound to come up.
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Updated at 04.21 EDT
