Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan to deport asylum seekers to the African country has been rubbished by a damning report by a cross-party group of MPs.
In a fresh blow for the PM, Members of the Public Accounts Committee found the Home Office “does not have a credible plan” for implementing the policy.
The report claims the government is refusing to clarify how many people it is planning to fly out to Rwanda, and how it would do this.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer spoke up about on the Diane Abbott row and said the party has not yet decided if the veteran MP will be barred from standing at the next election.
Keir Starmer has faced backlash from all sides with Labour MPs branding the handling of the situation “profoundly wrong” and “vindictive”, anti-racism charities have also weighted in accusing the party of double standards.
ASLEF, TSSA, Unite, NUM, CWU and FBU posted a letter demanding Ms Abbott be allowed to stand at the upcoming general election, following a morning of speculation about her future.
Pictures of the day: From NHS anniversary baby to Sir Ed Davey riding down a bike
Labour claims Tory pledges to increase mortgages by £350
Shadow chief secretary Darren Jones accused the Conservative government of being a “threat to family finances”.
In a emergency news conference, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury said policies like the national service and the triple lock plus could spike interest rates.
He said that is worth £71billion of spending announced in just a week into the election campaign.
Similar to Jeremy Hunt’s spending analysis on Labour pledges, Mr Jones claims the party has conducted a report based on Treasury documents.
The result is a set of unfunded policies that risk increasing monthly mortgage repayments by £350 (25 per cent), he claims.
Tory MP downs pint as he sums up what national service is: ‘One pint, one policy’
A Conservative MP downed a pint of beer as he explained what his party’s national service pledge entails.
Jake Berry, Tory MP for Rossendale and Darwen posted his “One Pint. One Policy” video on X on Wednesday (29 May), as he gave further details about the scheme his party plans to introduce if they win the general election.
Mr Berry explains: “Everyone’s been asking me about this national service, so in one pint I’m going to explain to you how it works.”
The Tory MP adds: “Being British isn’t just about what we can take from our country but what we can put back into it.”
Mr Berry then says “Cheers” and proceeds to drink his pint in one go.
Diane Abbott row: ‘Lack of transparency deeply disturbing,’ senior lawyer says
Martin Forde KC said it is deeply disturbing that senior shadow ministers like Wes Streeting were unaware of the situation surrounding Diane Abbott
He told Times Radio: “I get WhatsApp messages, predominantly from professional Black and Asian women, who are utterly dismayed by the way that Ms Abbot has been treated.
“I’m just really surprised at the timing of this, in the middle of a run-up to a general election. When Labour are hoping to be the next government, here was an opportunity, it seems to me, for them to show they could be fair and even handed.”
Nicola Sturgeon confirms she will be on the campaign trail
The former first minister said she will support SNP candidates but has refused to confirm whether she will be alongside John Swinney.
Pressed on whether she’ll campaign alongside Swinney, she said: “John will have his own programme and I will campaign in ways that I think are helpful to candidates.”
Diane Abbott would have stepped aside as an MP if Labour had treated her better
When the antisemitism row first erupted, lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie, a longtime friend of the Hackney MP, offered her some crucial advice – but, she admits, she thought things would pan out differently:
I’ve not always got on with Diane Abbott. When she was first elected in 1987, I was working on equalities and community development in Hackney, and even then, she was quite the formidable force.
She would ring up constantly: Why haven’t you done this? What’s going on here? Everyone at the council feared her a little bit. She was somebody who wanted to get things done for her constituents.
Read the full piece here:
Labour promises to settle the junior doctors pay dispute if elected
Our political editor David Maddox asks Darren Jones about spending figures to resolve the upcoming junior doctor’s pay dispute.
He asks: “Have you set aside any money to resolve the doctors’ strikes?”
The shadow chief secretary to the Treasury blames the Tory government for the current situation and promises “we want the government to settle this, we will get the job done” if elected.
It comes as shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said that a Labour government wouldn’t be able to rise junior doctors wages from day one.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I want to be really upfront with junior doctors this side of the election – the 35% pay claim they’ve put in, I’m just not going to be able to afford that on day one of a Labour government.”
Instead, he claims the party would “negotiate and recognise” and blamed the national strikes on the Conservatives.
Darren Jones is asked about whether he identifies as a socialist
The Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury is facing questions from the press.
Just like Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer, he is asked about his political stance and whether he identifies as a socialist.
He bluntly replies: “I would describe myself of Labour” and “I am a proud trade unionist.”
The Labour party is holding an emergency press conference
Darren Jones, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury is holding a news conference outlining the Tories’ “inevitable consequences” of their policies.
He has called “an emergency press conference” because of £71billion of Conservative “unfunded promises”.
He has alleged that Tory plans will crash the financial markets. “This reckless spending must stop,” he said.
“Voters deserve to know of five more years of the Conservative government,” he said.
He also accused the Conservatives of having not “learned the lesson” of Ms Truss’s short leadership and “doing it all again”.
“Their behaviour is economy crashing, family finance destroying madness, and it cannot continue”, he added.
Nigel Farage hints possible deal with the Conservatives
The Reform UK president has revealed he would be open to talks with the Tories.
Speaking to The Sun’s Never Mind the Ballots, he said: “I got rid of Mrs May with the Brexit Party. I stood aside with Boris to help a massive majority. What are they going to do back for me?”
Asked if he would accept a peerage from the Conservative Party, he replied: “No, I’m not asking for anything other than: I’ve done them some huge favours over the years as a party, give me something back. We might have a conversation.”
