Small Boats Keep Coming. Wealth Keeps Leaving. Britain Keeps Paying

From 1,620 small boat arrivals in five days to wealthy people leaving Britain, rising taxes and soaring energy costs, my latest discussion with Mike Graham.

Oct 11, 2026

I joined Mike Graham again on the The Mike Graham Show this week to discuss some of the biggest issues facing Britain, and the numbers behind them.

We covered another surge in small boat arrivals, growing concerns about wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs leaving the UK, and a tax system that increasingly squeezes working households. We also looked at rising petrol, diesel and energy prices, and why successive governments seem to make life more expensive rather than easier.

Watch our full conversation below.

1,620 Small Boat Arrivals in Just Five Days

We started with the latest Home Office figures, showing 1,620 people arriving in small boats between 2 and 6 October.

That’s more than 300 people a day, despite repeated government promises to tackle the crossings.

Mike and I discussed the effectiveness of the government’s approach, the pressures on the asylum system and the failure to establish a credible deterrent.

My argument was straightforward. Unless people believe that making the crossing will not guarantee them entry into Britain, the incentive to attempt the journey remains.

When Wealth Leaves Britain, Who Pays the Price?

We then turned to reports that billionaires with a combined £121 billion in wealth have left or loosened their ties with the UK since 2024.

That doesn’t mean £121 billion has physically left the economy, but it raises important questions about Britain’s attractiveness to investors and entrepreneurs.

As I explained to Mike, the potential loss goes beyond the individuals themselves. It’s the businesses they might establish, the jobs they could create and the future taxes those activities would generate.

And with the top 1% of income taxpayers contributing around 27% of income tax revenues, losing even a relatively small number of high contributors could have consequences.

We also discussed my preference for a simpler, flatter tax system and the absurdities of taxing people heavily only to give some of that money back through benefits.

When the Rich Leave, What Happens to Britain’s Tax Take?

Jamie Jenkins

Oct 6

Read full story

Higher Fuel Prices, More Tax and Britain’s Energy Problem

Finally, we discussed the growing cost of simply getting on with everyday life.

With petrol and diesel prices rising sharply, motorists are paying more at the pumps, businesses face higher transport costs and consumers ultimately feel the impact.

There’s another sting in the tail. As fuel prices rise, the amount of VAT collected on every litre rises too. Households pay more while the Treasury collects more tax per litre.

We finished by discussing Britain’s wider energy policies, our reliance on imported gas and the consequences of closing domestic energy infrastructure.

For me, it comes back to a simple principle. Governments are elected to work for the people, not to make the people work harder to fund ever-increasing government spending.