When Boris Johnson’s position was most precarious two months ago, he had to convince the Conservative MPs who remained with him that it was worth it.
A plan was developed – called “Operation Red Meat” – to give those who lose faith in his administration to believe that they have a higher purpose than just defending their leader through scandal after scandal.
The prime minister knew he needed to consolidate support, prove himself a good conservative and implement more of the policies that led him to win a majority of 80 seats in the last election.
The main theme of the Tories’ campaign in 2019 was Brexit – and in the years that followed, Johnson was aware that the message of “regaining control of our borders” was particularly strong for some.
Senior councilors wanted to ensure that voters who switched from Labor to the Conservatives – often through Ukip and the Brexit Party – would eventually stay with Johnson in the next election.
As such, Johnson was eager to announce a new, austere immigration policy designed to deter people from embarking on the perilous journey across the English Channel from France on “irregular” routes.
But while it has come as welcome news to many Tory MPs, there are still concerns about the details: the price and the choice of Rwanda as a country where some asylum seekers will be sent.
“Why Rwanda?”: Government Immigration Policy Strongly Condemned – Video Report
Last month alone, conservative counterpart Lord Kirkhope warned that “offshore costs would be excessive”, citing “conservative estimates” of around £ 2 million a person a year. So far, the UK government has committed only £ 120 million to fund the scheme.
Despite repeated promises by Interior Minister Priti Patel to reduce the number of arrivals, they remain the highest in history: 4,600 people arrived in small boats off the coast of Kent this year, about 600 a day earlier this year. week – and “hundreds” more on Thursday.
The failure to reduce numbers came in Johnson’s individual meetings with rocking lawmakers when he was in his famous “listening mode” in late January.
His ear was repeatedly drawn to the issue, not only by people who thought the government needed to take stronger action to end the arrival of migrants in small boats, but also by those who believed it was a useful topic. to dominate the political agenda.
Conservatives have risked being surrounded by traditional territories, such as law and order, but they know that border control makes it easier for them to use the old Brexit divisions – and try to portray Labor as soft on immigration.
While one Conservative MP, Andrew Mitchell, expressed concern about the plan, many more in the party celebrated that it might finally seem that they are dealing with illegal migration.
“We have been waiting for centuries for such actions,” admitted a Tory MP from the Red Wall, who supports the policy.
Government insiders said they hoped to announce it months ago to try to divert attention from Partygate’s initial scandal.
Johnson is said to have insisted he be announced before the local election, when many Conservatives worried they would face fines and an ongoing police investigation into parties violating Downing Street law.
The human rights situation in Rwanda has also been a concern, given that the United Kingdom is accepting refugees who say they are fleeing the threat of persecution in the same country.
Finally, there is the question of whether the difficult talks will turn into a dramatic reduction in the number of people crossing the English Channel, or will it simply draw attention to a problem that the government does not seem to be able to solve so far.
Government Refugee Secretary Richard Harrington hinted at this last week, admitting: “I have enough difficulty transporting them from Ukraine to our country, there is no way to send them to Rwanda.
Some Tory insiders fear that this is just another solution for gluing plaster – and that too promising and insufficient supplies will be more harmful to the party in the long run.
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