Now Europe copies Rishi on Rwanda: Slap in the face for self-righteous ... trends now
Rishi Sunak is today celebrating a vote of confidence in his Rwanda migrant plan after European politicians pledged their own copycat schemes.
The Prime Minister has praised foreign parties for 'following our lead' and finally 'recognising a meaningful deterrent is the only way to stop the boats'.
Britain has spent years fighting European bodies for the right to remove illegal migrants.
But now even Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has backed a policy of deporting people to third countries for asylum processing.
In its manifesto for June's European elections, Ms Von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP) calls for 'a fundamental change in European asylum law'.
Rishi Sunak is today celebrating a vote of confidence in his Rwanda migrant plan after European politicians pledged their own copycat schemes
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has backed a policy of deporting people to third countries for asylum processing
Mr Sunak says: 'If Keir Starmer wants to be seen as a soft touch on securing our borders, he will soon learn the consequences of that'
The EPP grouping, the largest in the European Parliament, has pledged: 'We want to implement the concept of safe third countries. Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there.'
Writing in today's Mail on Sunday, a delighted Mr Sunak says: 'I said when I first became Prime Minister that others would recognise a meaningful deterrent is the only way to stop the boats and now even top parties in the EU are following our lead.'
The Prime Minister, whose Bill allowing illegal migrants to be deported to Rwanda was passed by Parliament last week, has vowed that he will not allow lawyers to use the European Convention on Human Rights to block the plans, saying that they were 'more important' than 'membership of any foreign court'.
Senior Tories have urged him to reform the convention, or leave it altogether, if it is used to block the fights.
Mr Sunak makes his remarks ahead of crucial local elections on Thursday which could determine his fate as leader.
With the party expected to sustain heavy losses, Tory MPs have been debating whether to install a replacement such as Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt through a 'coronation'.
Defeat for the Tory mayors in Teesside and the West Midlands, who are defending large majorities, could trigger a coup.
Morale has been boosted in an under-siege Downing Street by two weeks of more positive news for the Prime Minister.
In his MoS article, Mr Sunak says: 'I want a welfare system that is fair to the taxpayers who have to fund it. I want to stop the boats because it is not right or fair that people can simply arrive on our coast illegally and then get to stay' (pictured: a migrant dinghy in the Channel on Friday)
With the party expected to sustain heavy losses, Tory MPs have been debating whether to install a replacement such as Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt through a 'coronation'
A back-handed endorsement of the policy came last week from Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who said people 'fearful' of staying in the UK were crossing the border from Northern Ireland to the Republic so they would not be sent to Rwanda
In addition to the Rwanda Bill, Mr Sunak also appeased some of
