Jeremy Clarkson Roasts Nigel Farage’s Plan To Use The Navy To Stop Small Boats: ‘It’s Impossible’

The TV presenter said the Reform UK leader hasn’t properly thought through the policy, dubbed “Operation Fortress”.

Under the plan unveiled last week, the Royal Navy would intercept the boats and return the asylum seekers on board to where they came from in “the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War Two”.

Farage said the plan did not break international law because they would be carrying out a “humanitarian” mission.

However, the French government has already dismissed the plan, while a former Navy officer dubbed it “a crock of shit”.

In his Sunday Times column, Clarkson joined the chorus of opposition to the Reform proposal.

He said: “Most commentators have focused on the political problems of such a plan.

“They point out, with some justification, that if the British prime minister orders a Royal Navy warship to steam into a French port and deposit a couple of hundred Somalians on the quay, the French government and indeed the United Nations might have something to say about it.

“Others have explained that we don’t really have enough ships to mount such an operation. And they also have a point because when Cyprus came under attack recently, it took a whole week to mobilise a defensive flotilla, which, to our national shame, comprised exactly one ship.

“However, there’s another, even bigger problem with Nigel’s Send ’em Packing plan which is: it’s impossible.”

The Clarkson’s Farm and Top Gear star went on: “How, in the name of all that’s holy, does double-breasted Nige think it would be possible for a large warship to come alongside a much smaller dinghy, which is something it must do if the captain wishes to attach a tow rope?”

He said in 1997, the captain of an Italian warship was jailed after it collided with an Albanian vessel, leading to the death of 81 people, including several children.

“This is what Nige hasn’t considered,” Clarkson said. “How do you stop a boat that doesn’t want to be stopped?

“And how do you order a Royal Navy captain to do something which in all probability will cause him to spend several years in the Scrubs.”

He added: “It is of course politically colourful to conjure up the image of sleek British warships defending the realm. This sort of thing appeals to the Tommy Robinsonites.

“But if you really want to stem the flow, and I suspect most people do, you have to park the (imaginary) destroyers and use your noddle. Do that and you’ll quickly work out that to stop them coming here, you’ve got to stop them wanting to come here.

“You’ve got to make the UK less appealing than where they are now, which is France. This shouldn’t be too hard.”

A Reform UK source told HuffPost UK: “I trust the senior veterans who endorsed our plan a little more than Jeremy Clarkson.”

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Clarkson’s Farm Co-Star Shares Update On Jeremy Clarkson’s Health

The former Top Gear host said: “the prostate, 10% of it’s dead… the 10% where the cancer is”. He said that the cancer had been caught early.

The episodes also revealed Jeremy sitting on a hospital bed, stating some of the treatment had gone “awry”. In the footage, he added, “I’m going to be here for a little while. I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“What I wanted to say was if this is all successful, I’ll see you in season six, and if it isn’t, I won’t… Take care, everyone.”

Since then, Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper has given fans an update.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in an exclusive, he said: “The spirits are high, which is good”.

He added, “If anything like this happens to any of your friends and you just said to my best mate, you’ve gotta be supported through that whole journey.

“And that’s where I’ve been, I’ve been right by his side and his spirits are really good, so thank you… He’s strong-minded, he’s got a strong mind on him, which is good.”

The 66-year-old has received a lot of well wishes, including from Piers Morgan, with whom he has shared a tumultuous relationship.

In an X post, Piers said: “I was surprised when Jeremy Clarkson texted me on Boxing Day to say how much he liked my… ad urging men to get tested for prostate cancer. Now I understand. I wish my old sparring partner all the best with his treatment. Guys, have a PSA [Prostate-Specific Antigen] test, it may save your life.”

In the past, Clarkson told The Times, that he regularly gets checked for the disease. He said he’d seen “too many friends go down with prostate cancer”, adding, “all it takes is a moment or two” to see how you’re doing.

Kaleb had a similar message in the Daily Mail interview.

“Catching anything early is quite important,” he said.

“That’s the main thing, but you’ve gotta keep checking. People can sit there and say I’m busy, busy, busy,” the farmer and author continued.

“But actually sometimes you’ve gotta go, I’m gonna just have to check and see if I’m okay.”

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Jeremy Clarkson’s Grand Tour Replacement Could Be This TikTok Trainspotter

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May parted ways with their Amazon Prime series The Grand Tour last year.

Co-star James May explained that this was because “I think Jeremy, Richard and I gave the format a really good thrashing and now it’s time to let a younger generation have a go.”

But working out who that “younger generation” may be seems to have proven difficult, with rumours of a replacement from The Sun only circulating a year on from when the last episode aired.

Francis Bourgeois
Francis Bourgeois

via Associated Press

The publication says a source told them TikTok sensation and train lover Francis Bourgeois was set to replace Jeremy (sorry, what?).

“Francis is a big noise online and Amazon producers are hoping to bring him into the mainstream,” the TV insider alleged.

“He is loved by everyone – from royals to rappers – and is sure to be a hit with Grand Tour viewers.

“Francis is not just a social media sensation but trained as a mechanical engineer so knows his stuff,” they told the publication.

Of course, this is all rumour at the moment – HuffPost UK has asked Amazon for comment to clarify – but that hasn’t stopped fans from having pretty strong reactions to the suggestion.

“April the 1st is not until Tuesday,” one X user wrote.

Still, it wouldn’t be Francis’ first dip into mainstream TV.

Channel 4′s Trainspotting With Francis Bourgeois starred big-name guests like Tom Daly, Aisling Bea, and Sam Ryder.

He also worked with Louis Theroux on YouTube series Scooting & Chatting with Francis Bourgeois.

Francis has also appeared in Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie, and David Guetta’s Cry Baby music video.

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He has also worked with brands like Gucci before.

Only time will tell if the sustainable transport lover will be able to add the car-obsessed show to his extensive CV too…

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