The PM's Rwanda scheme is dangerous for Labour

Boris Johnson's policy may never be put into action but it will be effective electorally

- JOHN RENTOUL

 The government's plan to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda may never happen but it could nevertheless shape the next general election. It was notable that Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, condemned it as “unworkable, unethical and extortionate” in her first response on Wednesday night.

By lunchtime yesterday, when Keir Starmer commented on it to the BBC, the Labour line had subtly changed. The plan was "unworkable and extortionate”, but the unethical bit had disappeared. Instead, the Labour leader's main point was that the plan was “a desperate announcement by a prime minister who just wants to distract from his own law-breaking”.

Starmer and his advisers have obviously realised that however cruel the scheme may seem to them, many of the voters they hope to win over think it is a good idea. So Starmer emphasised its impracticality and cost - and scored an easy point by agreeing with the common perception that the policy is an attempt to distract from the prime minister's penalty for breaking Covid law.

Of course, that must be part of Boris Johnson's thinking, but he wanted to announce the plan last week before the penalty notice pinged into his inbox. Starmer is entitled to claim that the prime minister is “desperate” to change the subject, but this is a subject that Johnson is extremely keen to talk about at any time - and to go on talking about between now and the general election.