Keir Starmer vows to scrap Rwanda deportation flights on day one – despite new poll showing voters BACK the scheme
SIR Keir Starmer has vowed to scrap deportation flights to Rwanda on day one despite a new poll showing voters BACK the scheme.
The Labour boss today set out his party's plan to crack down on illegal migration but refused to match the Prime Minister's pledge to "stop the boats" entirely.
He said Channel crossings needed to be slashed "materially" as he squirmed away from setting a hard target.
He also acknowledged the Government might get flights to Rwanda going before the election but insisted the policy would not work in deterring migrant crossings.
He said his plan - which would instead focus on targeting of people-smuggling gangs - would prove a better deterrent.
Speaking in Dover alongside new Labour MP Natalie Elphicke, he declared: “We are going to get rid of the policy straight away.
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"I am not going to continue a policy I don’t think is going to work that is going to cost a fortune.”
But a new poll by JL partners found 55 per cent of people are actually in favour of asylum seekers being "removed to their home country or to a safe country, such as Rwanda".
Only 22 per cent of people oppose it, a total of 7 per cent don't know and 15 per cent neither support nor oppose.
Co-founder of JL Partners James Johnson said: "Instead of opposing the Rwanda bill, the British public back it by a majority of two to one. Every group bar one supports it, including younger voters, Remain voters, and those who backed Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.
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"The only exception is current Labour voters who are split exactly down the middle."
Originally set for early July, ministers now expect the first flights to Kigali to take off as early as June 24.
The change was revealed as the Government Legal Department clarified the timeline in response to a legal challenge from civil service union FDA.
The union is suing the Government over the plans, as they fear the scheme could force officials to break the law.
The Prime Minister blasted Labour's proposals as nothing more than a stale repeat of his Government's ongoing efforts.
Rishi Sunak said: "Crunching through the backlog, having more law enforcement officers do more.
"That's all happening already. We've announced all of that more than a year ago."
On Thursday, 211 migrants crossed the Channel in three boats, with about 70 people crammed into each one.
It brings the total number of migrants who have crossed this year to 9,037, setting a new record for this time of year.