Fallout to Rwanda flight plan continues despite PMQs absence - The Yorkshire Post says
Planned to take off on Tuesday evening with a number of asylum seekers on board, a dramatic late intervention by the European Court of Human Rights halted the policy – temporarily if Ministers have their way.
Downing Street has said the Government will do “whatever it takes” to ensure deportation flights to the East African country go ahead, with Home Secretary Priti Patel commenting in the Commons yesterday: “We will not stand idly by and let organised crime gangs, who are despicable in their nature and their conduct, evil people, treat human beings as cargo.”
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Hide AdHowever Yvette Cooper, her Shadow Cabinet counterpart, said: “This is a shambles and it is shameful and the Home Secretary has no one but herself to blame. This is not and never has been a serious policy and she knew that when she chartered the plane.”
While a statement on Rwanda was delivered after PMQs, it was notable that the issue did not get a mention from Sir Keir, who concentrated his efforts on how “Britain is set for lower growth than every major economy except Russia”, perhaps aware that a sizeable chunk of the electorate want leaders to act on border control.
This simply allowed Mr Johnson to respond from his usual heavily-thumbed script of counterclaims and jibes at the opposition, handily cheered on by the bullish backbenches.