A Conservative parliamentary candidate and adviser to the Home Secretary has expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s Rwanda immigration policy, calling it “crap”. James Sunderland, who previously held the role of MP for Bracknell, was recorded making the statement at a private event in April of this year. Although he sought to defend the policy’s potential to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel into the UK, he maintained that it was still a poor policy. Sunderland was said to be speaking at a Young Conservatives function titled ‘What’s it Like Behind the Scenes at the Home Office,’ arranged by the True Blue Patrons Supper Club.
Sunderland’s comments came during a discussion with the group in which members spoke candidly. He explained that he had worked closely with the policy over the past two years, leading to his belief that it would have little effect. Sunderland was frank, telling the session that “the policy is crap” – words which he would later attempt to modify by elaborating that it’s “not about the policy. It’s about the effect of the policy.” His statement continued in this vein, and the recording was later obtained by BBC journalists.
Reports also suggest that Sunderland criticised other Conservative candidates for “courting controversy” and “polarising opinion” unnecessarily. Sunderland, who is also a parliamentary secretary to the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said that he was disappointed that he was recorded at a private event. He clarified that he was talking about the response to the policy, not the policy itself. Meanwhile, Cleverly rushed to support Sunderland, saying his opening words were intended to shock and engage the audience.
The Conservative Party has faced significant criticism from opposition figures, likening the Rwanda Scheme to “a complete con.” The opposition parties, including Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and the Liberal Democrats’ Alistair Carmichael, have called the policy an immoral and costly gimmick. Despite this, Conservatives have refused to concede that having an effective deterrent “is the only way to stop the boats” and have remained committed to the policy.
The Rwanda scheme has also been a source of controversy within the Conservative Party, with accusations of inappropriate terminology used by James Cleverly last November. In that case, reports alleged that Cleverly had referred to the scheme as “batshit” in private conversations. The Conservative leadership has, however, maintained its support for the policy, arguing that it is the only viable solution to stem the flow of people attempting to cross into the UK via the Channel
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