When Rishi Sunak vowed to do ‘whatever it takes’ to stem the tide of migrant boats, he was speaking for the law-abiding majority who want to end illegal immigration.
But the Prime Minister also believed he was drawing a sharp dividing line between the Tories and Labour, which has opposed every measure intended to stop the evil trafficking trade across the Channel.
In fact, it transpires that he has inadvertently created an ideological border right down the middle of his own party.
The latest flashpoint in this damaging civil war comes as Mr Sunak’s Rwanda legislation returns to the Commons.
MPs on the Tory Right have tabled amendments to toughen up the Bill – barring migrants’ legal appeals and preventing European courts grounding Rwanda flights except in limited cases. Without them, they say, the scheme is doomed to fail.
When Rishi Sunak vowed to do ‘whatever it takes’ to stem the tide of migrant boats, he was speaking for the law-abiding majority who want to end illegal immigration
But the moderate One-Nation caucus, fearing such changes would breach our international human rights commitments, has retaliated with counter-amendments that would neuter Mr Sunak’s new law.
The whole spectacle is pathetic. Do these Tories, grandstanding as they engage in this absurd legislative arm-wrestling, realise how self-indulgent they look to voters?
Both sides insist the Rwanda deterrent is necessary. But through wilful intransigence, they risk it collapsing completely. That would only benefit Sir Keir Starmer, who is terrified of the scheme succeeding because he has no realistic alternative.
The Tories must swallow their pride, seek sensible improvements and ram the Bill through. Their enemies are Labour, the House of Lords and all who would scupper this important legislation – not each other.
If the party refuses to listen to voters and fails to stop illegal migration, they can expect electoral wipeout.
Then they will have the luxury of spending years watching Labour implement harmful migrant policies from the pointless irrelevance of the opposition benches.
Starmer in the gutter
For someone who likes to portray himself as a man of integrity, it is curious how often Sir Keir descends into the political gutter.
Last year he was unabashed by the denunciation of Labour’s grubby smear campaign, which falsely claimed Mr Sunak didn’t want to send paedophiles to prison.
Now he is under fire for claiming his opponent – the country’s first non-white PM – ‘doesn’t get Britain’. This was an attack on Mr Sunak’s wealth and supposed aloofness. Few people seriously suggest the jibe had anything to do with his race.
But let us make three points. First, if a white Tory leader had used that phrase about a non-white Labour leader (not that there has ever been one), then opposition MPs, the BBC and the liberal elite would be blowing a gasket in confected rage.
For someone who likes to portray himself as a man of integrity, it is curious how often Sir Keir descends into the political gutter
Second, based on his own privileged background, isn’t Sir Keir (once again) displaying blatant hypocrisy?
And lastly, if anyone is out of touch with Britain, it’s surely him – the man who tried desperately to sabotage Brexit and who thinks one in 1,000 women have a penis.
Seats of earning
The revelation that leading universities are lowering the academic entry requirement for foreign applicants is just the latest kick in the teeth for British students.
They are offering places to international candidates who get the A-level equivalents of B, B and C, instead of three As.
It’s not difficult to understand why. Universities, which pompously see themselves as global businesses, can charge bloated fees for overseas students.
As a result, domestic ones could be forced out of higher education. This is a disaster for bright young Britons – and an instructive insight into the venal priorities of vice-chancellors at our top institutions.
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