Immigration minister Robert Jenrick appeared red-faced today after being challenged over his claim that one of Sir Keir Starmer’s aides was leading efforts to stop migrants being sent to Rwanda.
Mr Jenrick stuttered and stumbled when interrogated about the matter in an LBC radio interview.
It came after The Sun newspaper reported that top lawyer Jacqueline Mackenzie, who works for a firm that advises migrants facing deportation, is an “adviser” to the Labour leader.
Mr Jenrick wrote in an accompanying article: “Today we learn a top lawyer who advised Labour on anti-racism is at the forefront of efforts to people being deported to Rwanda.”
But it led to awkward exchanges when he was quizzed by LBC host Andrew Castle, who pointed out that Ms Mackenzie had not been named in his article.
Mr Castle asked: ”Can you name the person you claim is stopping people being deported to Rwanda who is a mate of Keir Starmer?”
Mr Jenrick repeatedly declined to do so and laughed nervously.
Exasperated Mr Castle demanded: “Where is it? Why don’t you want to name the person?”
Andrew Castle questions the immigration minister on LBC
Flustered Mr Jenrick avoided the issue and told Mr Castle he “could find it [Ms Mackenzie’s name] online.”
The Sun said Ms Mackenzie was “head of immigration” at the Leigh Day law firm “at the heart of challenges” against the government’s Rwanda policy.
It added she has ‘served on Labour’s race equality task force advising Starmer on policies for the next election.
Ms Mackenzie responded, saying it was “just untrue” to describe her as a Labour adviser ”in anything resembling the sense in which it is implied”.
The row is seen as part of a Conservative drive to expose what it claims is a growing divide between Sir Keir’s attempt to show a future Labour government would not introduce radical changes and Tory claims that he would be forced to do so by left-wing supporters.
