LONDON — A British politician on Tuesday accused French authorities of trying to “intimidate” him after shots were fired near him during a coastguard training exercise in the English Channel.
Chris Philp, shadow home secretary for the opposition Conservatives, posted a video on X in which shots can be heard during an interview about asylum seeker crossings he was conducting while on a fishing boat.
He later issued a statement saying he would raise the incident with the French ambassador to the U.K.
“It is extraordinary that the French navy will fire live rounds to defend their waters against a visiting British politician but cannot bear to do anything about stopping illegal Channel crossings,” he fumed. Small boat crossings are a hot-button issue in British politics, and a particular sore point for the Tories, who are trying to show they are tougher on the issue than Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Philp said on X that the incident felt “like warning shots or attempted intimidation.”
But a statement issued by the French embassy — quoting French defence officials — denied any intent and said the coastguard vessel Flamant had “conducted a small-arms firing exercise off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez.”
“The statutory signals required by international standards for this type of firing exercise were displayed, and all safety protocols were followed,” the statement added.
The French defence staff statement continued: “This exercise is unrelated to the presence of a British ship in the area, which was outside the range of the firing. The Flamant was not engaged in an operation to monitor migrant vessels.”
A U.K. official, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, told POLITICO they had been assured by French officials that the crew were “conducting a routine training exercise.”