After years of planning and fighting for the Rwanda scheme to be made law, Labour has promised to rip up those plans if elected this year.
Labour’s Promise on Rwanda Scheme
Labour has ensured the public that if it were voted into power, it would not allow Rwanda flights to take off as planned.
Sunak’s Fight for Rwanda Bill
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has fought long and hard to get the Rwanda Bill passed through Parliament, finally getting the green light in April this year.
Concerns About Rwanda’s Safety
The Bill itself was initially deemed unlawful, as Rwanda was not seen as a safe country to send the migrants who came to the UK illegally.
Labour and Tory Criticism
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been a vocal critic of the scheme. His words were echoed by Labour MPs and many Tory peers alike.
Sunak’s Landslide Defeat Nears
Sunak is predicted to suffer a huge defeat in the general election this year at the hands of Labour, although no election announcement has been made so far.
Tainting Sunak’s Legacy
The Rwanda Bill will likely go down as one of the final acts of his legacy, but Labour has insisted it has other ideas.
Starmer’s New Proposal
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer announced that he plans to completely remove all traces of the Rwanda scheme and replace it with a new system to deter small boat crossings.
Scrapping the Scheme
“There’ll be no flights. I want to scrap the scheme so that means the flights won’t be going,” the possible future Prime Minister said.
Addressing the Frontline
Starmer told the crowd in Kent, the county on the frontline of the immigration crisis, that a Labour government wouldn’t allow a single flight to take off.
No Flights Under a Labour Government
“There will be no flights scheduled or taking off after the general election if Labour wins that general election,” Starmer insisted.
Rwanda Scheme as a “Gimmick”
Starmer announced that he plans to replace the Rwanda scheme, which he repeatedly labelled a “gimmick,” with his own plan
Starmer’s Border Control Task Force
Starmer’s plan includes creating a new border control task force, hiring specialist investigators, and expanding stop-and-search rights for border police.
No “Cinderella” Task Force
Starmer pledged that the task force he plans on recruiting would be “elite” as opposed to the “Cinderella Service” that the Rwanda scheme provides.
Starmer’s Investigator Team
Starmer pledged to “bring together hundreds of specialist investigators” to form the task force, including members from several different services, such as MI5.
Working for One Mission
Sir Keir Starmer said the investigators would be “working to a single mission, all freed from the cloying bureaucracy that so often prevents collaboration between different institution.”
Rwanda Bill as a “Deterrent”
Sunak’s Rwanda Scheme, which caused a huge divide in the Tory Party and across politics, was said to be used as a “deterrent” to stop people from wanting to cross the border.
Elphicke Defects to Labour
The Rwanda Bill was the main reason for Natalie Elphicke, a former Tory MP who defected to Labour, becoming the second MP to do so in just two weeks.
Illegal Immigration at Record High
Despite this, illegal immigration has never been more prevalent in the UK, with numbers rising to record heights under Sunak’s reign.
Working With the EU
Starmer’s plan involves working closer with European countries to cut off immigration at the source, which means identifying and detaining the people smugglers themselves.
Labour Rejecting Rwanda
Wanderscot
If the Labour Party wins the election this year, Sunak’s years of planning and debating for the Rwanda scheme to advance may have been for nothing.
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Oscar Davies, an expert in US and UK politics and sports, is renowned for his sharp and engaging writing style, appealing to a broad spectrum of readers.