Braverman 'Gone To Ground' As Migration Figures Rocket

Home secretary Suella Braverman has been accused of “going to ground” after figures revealed that net migration had hit a record high of 606,000 with around 1.2 million people arriving to live in the UK in 2022

- LIZZIE DEARDEN, ARCHIE MITCHELL, ADAM FORREST

The new figures, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday, have fuelled accusations that the government has “lost control” of immigration despite a 2019 manifesto pledge to bring overall numbers down.

Senior Tories told The Independent that Ms Braverman had become a “liability” – warning Rishi Sunak that he may have to sack his “damaged” home secretary if she fails to tackle net migration levels. Despite immigration being one of the home secretary’s key policy areas, Ms Braverman did not comment on the figures or attend an urgent question in the House of Commons yesterday.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper asked “what is the point” of Ms Braverman. She said: “Where is the home secretary, who is in charge of these policies? She has gone to ground. What is the point of her?” The backlash extended to the Tory benches. Aaron Bell MP warned Mr Sunak that voters “will expect to see [net migration] fall” given the party’s previous pledges on the issue, while fellow backbencher Martin Vickers said voters’ “anger and frustration will grow” when they become aware of the new record high.

Moderate Tories are split on whether Mr Sunak should sack the home secretary. One senior Tory told The Independent that Ms Braverman had been acting as “a shield” for Mr Sunak, saying she was being used to “take the pain” when No 10 needed to blame the Home Office for the government’s failures on immigration.