A Reform MP has ignited a political firestorm with a World War II-themed jibe directed at France, following Paris' rejection of her party's proposal to use the Royal Navy to return migrants across the English Channel. Sarah Pochin, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, posted on X: "Pity the French did not show the same resolve in defending their sovereignty in June 1940."
The French government had previously stated that Reform's 'Operation Fortress' plan would constitute "a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law." The plan, unveiled by Reform leader Nigel Farage, proposed intercepting all vessels carrying illegal migrants to the UK and returning them to their departure country, drawing a comparison to Australia's past policies with Indonesia.
Ms. Pochin's comment drew immediate condemnation from opposition MPs. Sam Rushworth, the Labour MP for Bishop Auckland, described the remark as "disgusting" and argued it "betrays our allies." He added, "Comments like this show why Reform is completely unfit to govern."
Josh Fenton-Glynn, the Labour MP for Calder Valley, highlighted the historical sacrifices made by French soldiers, stating, "Over 200,000 French military personnel died fighting the Nazis in World War II 90,000 of whom died in 1940." He questioned whether Ms. Pochin's comments stemmed from "ignorance."
Further criticism came from Gavin Barwell, a former chief of staff to Prime Minister Theresa May. He responded to Ms. Pochin by noting, "Nearly 100,000 Frenchmen died defending their country in 1940." He concluded, "But you wouldn't know that because you are the apotheosis of the politics of ignorance."
Other social media users added context to Ms. Pochin's post, including a link to the Wikipedia page detailing the Battle of France. The Battle of France, which occurred from May to June 1940 following Germany's invasion, saw approximately 90,000 to 100,000 French soldiers killed, with around 92,000 being the most commonly cited figure.
A spokesperson for the French interior ministry separately commented on the 'Operation Fortress' plan, reiterating that it would violate French sovereignty and international law. The ministry also noted that crossings were down in 2026 due to measures implemented with the UK.