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Braverman slams 'unworkable' new Rwanda bill

‘It won’t work and it will not stop the boats,” says Braverman.

Braverman slams 'unworkable' new Rwanda bill

FORMER home secretary Suella Braverman said on Thursday (7) the government's proposed Rwanda legislation, part of a scheme to try to send thousands of asylum seekers to the East African country, will not work.

Rishi Sunak is facing a revolt from the right-wing of his Tory party over efforts to deport migrants to Rwanda, with immigration minister Robert Jenrick quitting on Wednesday (6) after the prime minister set out new draft legislation.


The new bill will instruct judges to ignore some sections of the Human Rights Act (HRA) and provisions of domestic or international law that might deem that Rwanda was not a safe country to send asylum seekers to, though appeals by people based on specific circumstances would still be permitted.

Braverman, Jenrick and their allies say that does not go far enough, with some wanting Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights altogether.

"I'm very concerned that the bill on the table will allow a merry-go-round of legal claims and litigation," Braverman told BBC Radio.

"The reality is, and the solid truth is, that it won't work and it will not stop the boats."

The government says the Rwanda scheme would deter migrants from paying people smugglers to ferry them from Europe across the Channel to Britain.

It has been forced to come up with a two pronged strategy to relaunch the Rwanda policy after the Supreme Court ruled it would violate international human rights laws enshrined in domestic legislation.

The government signed a new treaty with Rwanda earlier this week.

(Reuters)

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Lancashire warned health pressures ‘not sustainable’ without stronger prevention plan

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Highlights

  • Lancashire’s public health chief says rising demand on services cannot continue.
  • New prevention strategy aims to involve entire public sector and local communities.
  • Funding concerns raised as council explores co-investment and partnerships.
Lancashire’s public sector will struggle to cope with rising demand unless more is done to prevent people from falling ill in the first place, the county’s public health director has warned.
Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi told Lancashire County Council’s health and adult services scrutiny committee that poor health levels were placing “not sustainable” pressure on local services, prompting the authority to begin work on a new illness prevention strategy.

The plan, still in its early stages, aims to widen responsibility for preventing ill health beyond the public health department and make it a shared priority across the county council and the wider public sector.

Dr. Karunanithi said the approach must also be a “partnership” with society, supporting people to make healthier choices around smoking, alcohol use, weight and physical activity. He pointed that improving our health is greater than improving the NHS.

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