Sir Keir Starmer is more focused on stopping Rwanda flights than preventing small boat crisis, says Rishi Sunak
SIR Keir Starmer is more focused on stopping planes taking off to Rwanda than preventing migrant boats crossing the Channel, Rishi Sunak says.
The Labour leader was accused of having no plan to solve the on-going crisis and standing in the way of the Africa deterrent in a blistering attack.
The Prime Minister hit the road yesterday to meet voters putting the removal scheme at the centre of the election battleground as he prepares to toughen up the policy.
The PM said: “We all know he’s not actually interested in stopping the boats, he’s more interested in stopping the flights that are trying to remove people who shouldn’t be here illegally.”
He launched a direct hit on Sir Keir accusing his party of voting against the Rwanda legislation saying his whole party was behind the deterrent.
Mr Sunak said: “So either you don’t believe in stopping the boats, or you don’t have a plan to do so. Because I want to stop the boats and I know that I’ve got a plan that’s going to deliver.”
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His intervention came as he refused to deny a report in The Sun that he discussed scrapping the policy when running for leader in the summer of 2022.
In a clearly carefully-crafted answer, he said: “I didn’t say I was going to scrap it. I mean that’s completely false. Of course I didn’t.”
The Rwanda scheme has so far cost £290 million but so far not one asylum seeker has been sent there.
Labour said claims Mr Sunak talked over cancelling the plan altogether was evidence of “the total Tory chaos over their failing Rwanda scheme and the weakness of Rishi Sunak”.
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Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it shows “he is just chasing gimmicks to pander to parts of the Tory party and keep his job”.
Meanwhile, legislation is expected to return to the Commons in the next few weeks but Tory rebels have threatened to amend or vote it down if not beefed-up.
The PM revealed he would welcome “bright ideas” to improve the legislation claiming the entire party is supportive of the plan.
Robert Jenrick, former Home Office Minister, said he will amend the Rwanda plan if Ministers don’t step in to strengthen ensuring it’s “sufficiently robust”.
He also told the 150-strong audience that he has “made progress” on his five pledges.
Mr Sunak has said it’s his “working assumption” that the election will be held in the second half of this year.
Mr Sunak said voters faced a choice at the next election of the Tories or going back to “square one” under Sir Keir.
He has repeatedly attacked Labour’s plan to spend £28 billion a year on green projects if he wins power.
He said: “He has been Leader of the Opposition for four years now and in that time, he hasn’t said what he would do differently. That’s because he doesn’t have a plan. He just snipes from the sidelines instead.”