James Cleverly, Conservative Party leadership hopeful, has announced plans to restore the UK’s relationship with Rwanda. As part of his bid for the leadership position, Cleverly has stated that he intends to bring back the Rwanda scheme, which would involve sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda, with the goal being to dissuade additional individuals from crossing the English Channel via small boats.
Following the election in July, Labour opted to abandon the scheme, branding it a “gimmick,” and claiming that it had cost taxpayers approximately £700m. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper later confirmed that some of the money saved would be invested in the development of a Border Security Command team, created to foil people-smuggling gangs.
Speaking at the Old War Office in London, Cleverly stated that he believes his party “must restore our credibility” in terms of migration control, in order to win back voters who opted for Reform and other parties during the most recent general election. He continued, stating that when dealing with illegitimate migration, the use of a deterrent is necessary.
Cleverly went on to explain that he intends to use his existing contacts and reputation with Rwanda to “resurrect that incredibly important partnership.” Acknowledging that the scheme may need to be different from the previous iteration, due to the way that Labour cancelled and handled the partnership, the Conservative Party hopeful nonetheless committed to rebuilding the previously damaged relationship with Rwanda.
As part of his leadership pitch, Cleverly made a series of additional commitments, including a vow to spend 3% of GDP on defence, and to abolish stamp duty on the sale of homes. He also called for a reduction in the welfare budget, and urged his party to “think and act like Conservatives again,” with an emphasis on doing “fewer things very well, not everything badly.”
Cleverly is not the first Conservative leadership hopeful to announce plans to restore the Rwanda scheme if elected. Robert Jenrick, a rival candidate, made the same pledge earlier this month. They are two of six Conservative Party hopefuls who have entered the race, which is designed to find a successor for Rishi Sunak as leader of the party. Commenting on the ongoing contest, a Labour Party spokesperson encouraged the Tory leadership hopefuls to “admit they left the country in a dreadful state, and apologise for it.
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