Policing minister Sarah Jones has blamed the previous Conservative government for the anger fuelling anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth, after a weekend of unrest that saw police vehicles damaged and officers injured. Masked demonstrators blocked access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, while a stand-off in Portsmouth on Sunday night turned violent, with Jones branding organisers Patriot Platform "far-right racist" and warning that anyone crossing into illegality would face the full force of the law.

Jones told the Commons that around 120 migrants arrived by boat near the Isle of Wight on Sunday, prompting more than 200 protesters to try to block coaches transporting them for processing. Hampshire Police have launched an investigation into assaults and criminal damage, though no arrests have yet been made, while the Hampshire Police Federation described the Portsmouth scenes as straightforward criminal disorder rather than legitimate protest. Conservative and Reform figures, including Chris Philp and Suella Braverman, rejected the "far-right" characterisation and called for tougher measures, including leaving the ECHR, while questions were also raised over whether Kent and Hampshire police were adequately prepared for the disorder.