The previous government’s plan to send some migrants who arrived in the UK illegally to Rwanda has been criticised by former Prime Minister Sir John Major. The scheme, which aimed to deter people crossing the Channel in small boats, was branded “un-Conservative and un-British” by Sir John. The plan was scrapped by the new Labour government following legal challenges, with no migrants eventually sent to Rwanda under the scheme. Sir John voiced his opinion in an interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan, saying that he believed the plan was “odious”.
In the interview, Sir John was asked about his views on the future of the Conservative Party as well. He confessed that he had not done many TV interviews recently due to “there’s not been a great deal I could say, I would wish to say, in favour of what the previous government were doing”. Nevertheless, he expressed his optimism for the party’s future, stating that “we have had such a bad defeat, we have got a base upon which we can build, in a wholly new and, I think, potentially effective way.” Sir John also urged his party to appeal to the centre-right, where he believes their natural support lies.
Sir John did not disclose who he was backing to be the next Tory leader, who is expected to be announced on 2 November. He said that he would like to support someone who could tackle the long-term problems and bring back the party’s genuine centre-right supporters.
This is not the first time Sir John’s government has been unseated via a Labour landslide. In 1997, Tony Blair won power, and Sir John admitted that, in his opinion, it was time for democracy to change. He explained that “we were tired and that we were running out of fresh people to make ministers and reinject the government with vigour.” He thinks a similar problem caused the Conservatives’ recent defeat, saying, “although it was only 14 years” since they took power, they also became tired and lost the support of genuine centre-right supporters.
In regards to the previous government’s Rwanda asylum plan, Sir John challenged the notion that the plan would have acted as a deterrent, saying, “Are they seriously saying to me that somewhere in the backwoods of some North Africa country, they actually know what the British Parliament has legislated for? I think not.” He believes the plan would have been odious even if it worked in deterring illegal immigration via small boats.
The interview was part of Amol Rajan Interviews: John Major and aired on BBC Two at 19:00 BST, and is also available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds from 06:00
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