VICTORY for the Conservatives at the next election will depend on Rishi Sunak fulfilling his pledge to stop illegal migrants crossing the Channel, according to former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel.

She told GB News: “There’ll be an election next year, the British people will judge this government on delivery. The five pledges, for example – stop the boats is one of them. Let’s have less talk and focus on actually stopping the boats.

“I mean, 24,000 People have come over this year. It’s a difficult issue. I know, I’ve been there. I’ve always said there’s no one single solution. But be pragmatic, be practical, find solutions.”

In a discussion with Camilla Tominey, she was critical of the government stating that migrants must be housed in hotels that are rated three stars or above.

Dame Priti said: “I don’t agree with that policy. So they could be in one star but I go further than that Camilla and you’ve heard me say this before, everyone’s heard me say this. We had a proposal in the new plan for immigration to build reception centres.

“I called them Greek-style reception centres because they had detention facilities. It’s important that people that come here illegally are detained.”

“First of all, because we have our laws, our laws basically say you can’t detain people unless you can actually remove people but you keep them in a reception centre.”

On knife crime, she said: “First of all, how is it that these weapons are being carried? People know my views on stop and search. I made it easier for police to conduct a proper search.

“I think that absolutely has to happen. Stop and search, in my view, is a very, very humane policy. It helps to save lives. It’s right that we do more to get these weapons off the streets.”