A tragedy in the English Channel this week saw 27 asylum seekers heading to Britain

drown, leading to probing questions about how the situation can be resolved.

As we mourn those who have died in the most horrendous of circumstances, I hope that the

whole house can come together to send a clear message that crossing the channel in this

lethal way in a small boat is not the way to come to our country.

It is of course unnecessary, illegal and desperately unsafe.

Welcome to Payne's Politics, your essential guide to what happened in British politics

from the Financial Times, with me Sebastian Payne.

In this week's episode, we'll be looking at the small boat crisis that you heard the

home secretary, Priti Patel, discuss at the top.

What if anything can be done to reduce the number of small boats crossing the channel?

And what does it say about the state of Anglo-French relations?

Political and diplomatic correspondent Laura Hughes will discuss along with parish reporter

Anna Gross.

And later, we'll be looking at yet another chaotic week for Boris Johnson, and whether

the Prime Minister is to use the words of one journalist, OK.

Would a better downing should operation improve matters, or is Boris always going to be simply

Boris?

Chief political commentator Robert Schrimsey will analyse with special guest Paul Goodman,

editor of the Conservative Home website and a former Tory MP.

Before with much to get stuck into, we're going to go straight to the main topic of the week.

2021 has seen a three-fold increase in the number of small boats of asylum seekers trying

...