Rishi Sunak “wanted to scrap the Rwanda scheme” when he begin his 2022 Tory leadership bid, a campaign insider has told Sky News.
The prime minister “had no serious interest” in illegal or legal migration “until he was persuaded otherwise during the campaign”, the insider told our political editor Beth Rigby.
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It follows a report in The Sun which claimed Mr Sunak pushed back against the policy while chancellor because he was concerned about the costs.
The newspaper said his reservations remained when he unsuccessfully took on Liz Truss in the first Tory leadership contest of 2022, but was warned off scrapping it on the grounds it could upset Conservative MPs.
Mr Sunak has made the scheme central to his premiership since entering Downing Street.
On Monday he insisted he never said he was going to axe the Rwanda policy, but did not deny considering it.
In a carefully-worded answer to a question about the report at an event in Accrington, he said: “I didn’t say I was going to scrap it. I mean, that’s completely false. Of course I didn’t.”
He said it was his job as chancellor “to ask some probing questions” and scrutinise money spent on taxpayers’ behalf.
But he said he ultimately backed the policy because “I believe in this scheme” and “we need a deterrent” to small boat crossings.
It came after Mr Sunak on Sunday admitted questioning the “value for money” of the policy while he was chancellor, but insisted it was “wrong” to infer that he did not back sending asylum seekers to the east African country.
Leaked documents seen by Sky News suggested Mr Sunak wanted the scheme “scaled back” and was described as believing the “deterrent won’t work”.
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The Rwanda policy is seen as key to Mr Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” ahead of the next election, which the prime minister has signalled is likely to be held in the second half of 2024.
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The government has committed at least £400m to the Rwandan government, but no asylum seekers have been relocated as yet after the Supreme Court ruled the proposal unlawful.
Mr Sunak is hoping to address the legal issues with his Safety of Rwanda Bill which is due to return to the Commons this month for debate.
But he could face a showdown with his own MPs, as critics on the right of his party have threatened to amend or even vote down the legislation if it is not tightened, while moderates in the opposite wing have warned against any changes that could breach the UK’s international obligations.
On Monday, the prime minister said he was open to “bright ideas” that could make the bill more effective “whilst complying with our international obligations and retaining Rwanda’s participation in the scheme”.
Labour said claims Mr Sunak contemplated cancelling the plan altogether was evidence of “the total Tory chaos over their failing Rwanda scheme and the weakness of Rishi Sunak”.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The idea that Rishi Sunak could doubt the policy when chancellor, plan to cancel it in his leadership campaign, and then end up belatedly championing it once it failed and will cost the taxpayer £400m shows how incredibly weak and hopeless he is, and how far he is just chasing gimmicks to pander to parts of the Tory party and keep his job.”
