Starmer accuses Sunak of avoiding Rwanda test

SIR Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of never believing the Rwanda deportation plan would work after the Prime Minister conceded flights would not take off before the election.

The Prime Minister and Labour leader kicked off their campaigns yesterday with Mr Sunak urging voters to back him at the polls if they want the Government's flagship immigration scheme to succeed. During the morning broadcast round, Mr Sunak admitted planes carrying asylum seekers to Kigali would take off after polling day, but vowed the "preparation work" had already happened.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble by calling a July 4 election on Wednesday night in a rainsoaked press statement outside Number 10, despite having marked the month for when the first deportation flight would take place.