Sunak needs to show the Tory rebels who is in charge

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We need a fairer and more compassionate way to deal with immigration, not this trashy gimmick (PA Wire)

I read Helena Kennedy’s recent column on Rwanda with interest and agreement.

The fact that pivotal international agreements such as the European Court of Human Rights are going to be dismissed as interfering legislation is brought in, shows a complete disregard for all the hard-won principles that these conventions represent.

According to the “five families” in the Tory party this bill does not go far enough. Rishi Sunak needs to show them that he is running the show and not bow to their hard-right insatiable demands. This fast-tracking of Rwanda to a designated “safe country” is entirely disingenuous and now there are going to be incendiary debates about this scheme yet again. I agree too that the deterrent factor is largely overplayed. We need a fairer and more compassionate way to deal with immigration, legal or otherwise, and this trashy gimmick does not comply with any of those principles.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

The sooner the better

The Tory MP Lee Anderson repeated in the Commons his demand for Ed Davey to “clear off” over his part in the Post Office scandal that dates back at least 20 years. It’s no surprise that the Tories are using the tragedy “to fling mud at opponents” as was Sean O’Grady’s observation in his recent piece.

The fact is that when Davey became postal affairs minister in 2010 – a post he held for less than two years – he was advised by his civil servants not to meet Alan Bates, but did so anyway. Apparently, none of the previous ministers had done so. Nor it appears did any of the Tory ministers from 2015 to 2019. Davey was therefore not the only minister deceived by Post Office lies. As The Independent’s own editorial has asked: “Why did the many relevant ministers in the Blair, Brown, Cameron, May and Johnson administrations ask so few questions and fail to get to the bottom of the scandal?”

Why should Davey listen to someone like Anderson who has continued as Tory deputy chair despite calls for him to be sacked over his inflammatory remarks?  Not least, on one occasion, telling immigrants to “f*** off back to France”.

It was also an own goal for Anderson to ridicule Davey in the Commons for having in the past called for over 30 prominent people in public life to resign. He only served to remind us that calls for so many resignations show just how far standards have fallen under the Tories and why the sooner they go, the better.

Roger Hinds

Surrey

Social care needs bolder policies

The government’s newly announced plans to develop the social care workforce will make a valuable contribution to professionalising the sector. The demand for social care workers is outpacing population growth, so we welcome measures that will help us attract and retain great people to deliver high-quality support, and give more people opportunities to build rewarding, long-term social care careers.

However, it is extraordinary that there is still no action on the most significant issue underlying our workforce shortages – pay. Today, four in 10 social care workers earn less than the real living wage. Without addressing this, the sector will not be able to attract and retain the talent we so desperately need.

The government must benchmark and fund minimum care worker pay at NHS band three. This will allow care and support workers to earn a wage aligned with their skills and responsibilities, and encourage a much-needed pool of workers into these vital careers.

After over a decade of stagnation on social care funding, and as the next general election draws near, now is the time for bolder policies that get to the root of the issue.

Rachael Dodgson

Chief executive of Dimensions

Misleading government travel advice is damaging tourism

The tourism industry in Sri Lanka employed over 380,000 people last year and is anticipated to grow by 1.6 per cent each year until it reaches over 1 million by 2028. One in five people in Sri Lanka rely on income generated by tourism to the country.

The island’s ancient temples, beaches, lush tropical scenery, and sheer variety of wildlife is extraordinary. There is perhaps no other country on Earth with such complex biodiversity and cultural riches per square mile.

Yet the UK government is systematically undermining the travel industry there, by retaining outdated and overly harsh travel advice which deters British citizens from visiting.

Neighbouring countries benefit from more generous advice despite having more instances of British nationals being exposed to danger.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says it has recently revised Sri Lanka guidance. But the changes are synthetic and inadequate as officials persist in drawing attention to protests and violent unrest which have long since ceased.

In fact, the whole system of FCDO advice appears to be inconsistent with most of Europe and North America escaping serious warnings, despite incidents of rioting, political unrest, and violent crime.

These anomalies serve not only to diminish one country’s tourist industry but to undermine confidence in FCDO advice as a whole.

We are calling on ministers to reform the FCDO’s approach from the bottom up. A new approach should ensure there is consistency so tourist industries and travellers alike can place their trust in the advice once again.

Signed by:

Sam Clark - Experience Travel Group, Dr Matthew Offord MP - Chair of All Party Sri Lankan APPG, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Naseby PC - Founder and Joint Chair of All Party Sri Lankan APPG, The Rt Hon. the Lord Dholakia OBE DL - Officer of All Party Sri Lankan APPG, The Lord Brennan KC - Vice Chair of All Party Sri Lankan APPG, Hon. Harin Fernando - Minister of Tourism, Lands, Sports and Youth Affairs, Kumar Sangakkara - Former Captain of Sri Lankan Cricket Team, MCC President, Mahela Jayawardene - Former Captain of Sri Lankan Cricket Team, Mr. Chalaka Gajabahu - Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Chris Rowles - Chairman, AITO (The Specialist Travel Association),Nishad Wijetunga - President, SLAITO (Sri Lankan Association of Inbound Tour Operators), Richard Nuttall -CEO, Sri Lankan Airlines, Malik Fernando - Chair, Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance, Karan Gokani -Co-founder and Director, Hoppers, Cecil Balmond OBE -Designer, John Gimlette - Author, Elephant Complex, Hiran Cooray - Chairman, Jetwing Symphony, Hashan Cooray -Director, Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Mike Sedgwick MD FRCP- Formerly Professor in Physiology, University of Peradeniya, Michael Bunston - Chairman at International Tea Committee Ltd, Nick Pulley - Founder & CEO, Selective Asia, Andrew Hunt - Founder and CEO, Holiday Architects, Martin Garland - Director, Expression Holidays, Jonny Bealby - CEO, Wild Frontiers, Henry Fitch - CEO, Teardrop Hotels, Radha Vyas - Co-founder & CEO, Flashpack, Neil Dobbs - MD, Travel Gallery, Farzana Dobbs - Owner, Rosyth Estate House, Leanne Bonner-Coooke MBE - Entrepreneur, Former CEO of e-Bate Limited, Maxime Wickramasinghe - Committee Member, SLAITO, Chandra Wickramasinghe - Chairman, Thema Collection, Tim Jacobson - Owner, Manor House Concepts, Chamali Fernando - Barrister, Tim Edwards - Owner, Gal Oya Lodge, Eleanor Miller - Director, Sri Lanka Collection, Alisdair Luxmoore - Director, Fleewinter, Justin Wateridge - CEO, Steppes Travel, Tim Stoller - Experience Travel Group, Manoj Deveraj - Group Head of Sales and Marketing, Teardrop Hotels, Charlie Austen - Co-founder, Teardrop Hotels