July election eyed up to avoid Rwanda ‘gimmick’ having ‘time to fail’, MPs told

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said Westminster is ‘awash’ with talk.

Published Apr 23, 2024

Last updated Apr 23, 2024

Rishi Sunak is rumoured to be eyeing up a July general election to avoid giving his Rwanda deportation “gimmick” the “time to fail”, according to Labour.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said Westminster is “awash” with talk about the possibility of a July contest, despite the Prime Minister appearing to favour a date in the autumn.

Rishi Sunak visit to Poland and Germany — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is said to favour a general election in the autumn (Henry Nicholls/PA)

The Bill compels judges to regard the east African country as safe in a bid to clear the way to send asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats on a one-way flight to Rwanda.

POLITICS Rwanda — Cumulative arrivals of people crossing the English Channel in small boats (PA Graphics)

“So I have a very simple question for the minister: will he repeat the pledge the Prime Minister made last year and promise that NHS waiting lists will be lower at the time of the general election than when the Prime Minister came to office?”

Conservative leadership bid — Health minister Andrew Stephenson said industrial action was to blame for 1.4 million procedures being rescheduled (Beresford Hodge/PA)

“One of the reasons performance has been disappointing is 1.4 million procedures have had to be rescheduled because of industrial action.