Rishi Sunak assured us his new bill will settle legal concerns raised by the Supreme Court. “We have blocked all the ways that illegal migrants will try and stay,” he said. “We have set the bar so high that it will be vanishingly rare to meet it.”
In doubling down on the Rwanda plan, and by trying to create a sense of urgency, Mr Sunak hopes to turn an embarrassing and expensive flop into an election winner. Despite sacking Suella Braverman, and suffering the damaging resignation of his former ally Robert Jenrick as immigration minister, Mr Sunak still seems determined to press on with the policy. He had already made “Stop the Boats” one of his five “people’s priorities” and has now further raised the profile of the immigration issue further. It may not have been wise.
What does Sunak want?
Not much, for a prime minister still in possession of a comfortable Commons majority. He is asking his own MPs to pass some government business in the usual manner, and to give his government the semblance of a coherent policy on migration. He would also like his party to display some unity and discipline, not least because the voters tend not to be impressed by divided parties.
Why is Sunak doing this?
Officially, because the Rwanda plan is supposed to be a key element in the government’s approach to irregular – “illegal” – migration. The Rwanda scheme, despite its modest size and practical doubts, has become not only a cornerstone of government policy but almost its entire raison d’etre.
Esta historia es de la edición December 08, 2023 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 08, 2023 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Springboks reveal insights into secrets of their success
Rugby is a game of grey areas. From foul play to scrum-time skirmish, one's opinion on a particular incident can vary greatly depending on the lens through which it is viewed.
Hall could solve England's specialist left-back problem
In their last 13 matches, England have only once started with a specialist left-back. Now a specialist left-back has emerged who debuted under Thomas Tuchel and who, even before the German takes charge, can benefit from the coaching of England's most-capped full-back.
Coote's sweary Klopp rant loads pressure on referees
When the video of referee David Coote ranting about Jurgen Klopp first came to light, some of the most influential figures at Premier League clubs were excitedly sending it around on WhatsApp.
Labour looks set to smash straight into a jobs problem
Is Labour hurtling towards a jobs problem? The latest official data release does not make for happy reading for our accidentprone government.
Watchdog fines Metro Bank £16m for failing customers
A major bank has been fined millions for errors that left customers at risk. Metro Bank has been fined 16.6m by regulators for failings over money laundering controls from 2016 to 2020.
Inconvenient truth about this year's Booker winner
Samantha Harvey's ‘Orbital', a meditation on the Earth and humanity, has scooped this year's prize. But Martin Chilton is sceptical it will make readers wake up to climate change
'Male actors do get paid, more than us - that's a fact'
Sarah Greene has reunited with her 'Bad Sisters' for a second series. She tells Ellie Harrison about misogyny, donning an eyepatch, and looks back on the success of 'Normal People'
KATHMANDU CHAOS
The Nepalese capital's shambolic main airport is a perfect case study in how to deter visitors, writes Simon Calder
Fox on the box: 25 years of Lineker's Match of the Day
Gary Lineker is leaving 'MOTD' at the end of this season, after a glittering tenure as the host of the BBC's flagship football show. Nick Hilton looks back on his highs and lows
Dumping Lineker is a move the BBC will live to regret
Watching the flagship BBC News at 10 programme on Monday night, you might have been forgiven for thinking all was well in the world - that Gaza was no longer a killing field, that Ukraine was safe from Putin, that the planet had started to cool down.