Immigration minister Robert Jenrick was left squirming on Sky News as he was presented with proof of the government’s failures.
Presenter Trevor Phillips told him “you’re not doing very well” on the five pledges Rishi Sunak made to voters at the start of the year.
The prime minister vowed to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce national debt, cut NHS waiting lists and stop the small boats carrying asylum seekers across the Channel.
But Jenrick was shown a graphic demonstrating how the government is failing on four of them.
Inflation is still running at 6.7%, debt and waiting lists have gone up and the government is nowhere near stopping the boats.
Phillips said: “That [small boats] pledge does not say stop 10% of small boats, it says stop small boats. You’re not doing very well really, are you?”
Jenrick replied: “I’m not pretending this is job done, I’m saying our plan is beginning to work.
“We’re around a quarter reduction now in small boats compared to last year, and if you compare that to Italy and much of Europe, small boat arrivals are up by 100%.
“If you look at the number of Albanians coming illegally to the UK, down by 90%. If you look at the number of people who are being returned who shouldn’t have come here, up 75%.”
He added: “On this area we are delivering. There is clearly a long way to go.”