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LONDON: Amid rising questions within and outside his party, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denied allegations of being irritable and bad-tempered, especially when under pressure. He told The Spectator that “there’s nothing tetchy” about him, dismissing dissent among his party MPs on the Rwanda bill, calling it a “debating society” behaviour.
In a recent interview to the British weekly newsmagazine, the PM suggested that he is instead, “passionate” and gets “frustrated” when things do not work the way he wants them to.
Sunak has been accused of being “tetchy”, especially when facing media pressure. He defended himself when The Spectator’s Katy Balls asked him about such comments against him. “I don’t understand that,” he said, then added, “I am fighting for the things I believe in.”
Stands by his pledge The interview comes at a time when his Conservative Party is trailing behind Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour by about 20 points in the polls. PM Sunak also stood by his pledge to “stop the boats” when speaking to The Spectator. He asserted that it is a “straightforward phrase” and there is “no acceptable amount of illegal migration”.
Ahead of next year’s elections, PM Sunak is facing infighting within his party even as he attempts to push through a legislation to send people seeking asylum in the UK to Rwanda. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill was introduced in Parliament on December 7 to pave the way for asylum-seekers’ deportation to Rwanda. It followed the announcement of a plan to deliver the biggest-ever cut in net migration.
Rebellion within party His Government was under pressure since the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revised net migration figures to 745,000 for the year ending December 2022. This is a new record high and above 139,000 on its previous estimate.
The PM is facing rebellion within the Conservative Party over the deportation plan and has witnessed his popularity plummeting.
Centrist Tories are considering tabling amendments to the Bill to protect the controversial legislation against breaches of international law. But the rightwing members have threatened to vote it down unless harsher measures are included. PM Sunak, however, is determined to “stop the boats” carrying illegal immigrants across the English Channel, and send asylum-seekers to Rwanda despite the Supreme Court upholding the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
