Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak continue Tory run of outlandish policies on crime and immigration

Hopes that evidence-based policy making might return after Boris Johnson’s departure are being dashed, Lizzie Dearden writes

Britain foreign secretary Liz Trus and former chancellor Rihi Sunak during BBC debate on 25 July 2022 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

After three years of a Boris Johnson-led government characterised by outlandish and controversial policy proposals - from the Rwanda scheme to forcing migrant boats back to France and cracking down on noisy protests - there had been hopes that his departure would bring a change.

Those hopes have been dashed by the avalanche of announcements for Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss’ leadership campaigns in recent days.

The former chancellor sparked a fresh round of incredulity and outrage on Wednesday, with claims that he would “add vilification of the UK to the definition of extremism” and redouble efforts to “root out those who are vocal in their hatred of our country”.

Mr Sunak also he wanted to “reform” the Prevent counter-terrorism programme to focus on Islamist extremism, despite the fact it has been under a government-commissioned review for three-and-a-half years and covers all forms of threat.

The announcement included no evidential basis for the proposals, and there is no clear way of implementing them under the current system.

The same can be said for his rival’s announcement last week that she would tell police to cut homicide, serious violence and “neighbourhood crime” by 20 per cent before the 2024 election.

Ms Truss’ crime pitch was described to The Independent by one policing source as “incoherent s***” and Mr Sunak’s proposals on extremism have been met with a similar level of derision by those working in counter-terrorism.

The Tory leadership candidates have also been wrestling for the high ground on immigration, with Mr Sunak promising to double the number of foreign national offenders who are deported each year.

The plan is to lower the bar for deportation to those who have been jailed for just six months, or three times for any period.

Both he and Ms Truss have backed the Rwanda policy, despite the fact its legality has yet to be decided by the High Court, and suggested potential expansions of the scheme.

Mr Sunak has vocally backed Dominic Raab’s plan to abolish the Human Rights Act, and Ms Truss vowed to go even further by removing the UK entirely from the European Convention on Human Rights.

Police, the security services, government lawyers and immigration authorities are consoling themselves with the knowledge that the announcements are aimed at Conservative Party members and may not be pursued after the leadership election.

But they will be concerned that all signs point away from evidence-based policy making, towards ever-more outlandish and divisive proposals that prioritise image over effectiveness.