The Rwanda policy is a distraction from what really matters to people

Editorial: The deportation plan is unwise on Rishi Sunak’s own terms, because the voters care about prices and the NHS more

The problem for Sunak and James Cleverly is not just that the Rwanda plan is distracting from more important issues, but that it presents the governing party as a faction-ridden shambles (PA)

Even if a few planes take off for Rwanda before the general election, Professor Sir John Curtice believes that the Conservatives are heading for an electoral collapse comparable to the one they suffered in 1997.

Speaking to The Independent, the elections guru of the University of Strathclyde argues that many voters are worried about immigration and asylum, but that they worry about other issues more. The cost of living and the state of the National Health Service are consistently ranked as more important in surveys of public opinion. By focusing on a lower-order problem, Rishi Sunak risks giving the impression that his priorities are not the people’s priorities, despite much sloganising to the contrary.

It might be worth all the headlines devoted to the Rwanda policy if it were about to produce results by deterring people from crossing the Channel in small boats, but the plan is still a long way from such an outcome.