The choice facing voters is clear: we have a plan, and it’s working

THE past few weeks have shown the clear choice at the next election between the Conservatives and

Labour. A plan versus no plan, bold principled action versus U-turns and prevarication, a clear record of delivery versus political game playing, a leader focused on the future or a party obsessed with talking about the past.

Take migration. I am determined to get control of migration, both legal and illegal. That is why I have introduced measures to halve legal migration and have got the Rwanda scheme on the statute book despite the opposition of Sir Keir Starmer and the blockers.

Our approach is being vindicated. First Rwanda. Illegal immigrants are leaving this country because they fear being detained and deported. We’ve seen the proof that a deterrent works, given the concerns raised by the Irish, less than a week after our Rwanda bill became law. Migrants are leaving the UK and going to Ireland for fear of being sent to Rwanda. The way to deter illegal immigration is for people to know that if they come here illegally, they won’t get to stay.

Preparations for our Rwanda flights are continuing. This week, we started detaining those who will be sent to Kigali. I am determined to keep up a flow of flights over the summer. Starting the flights is how we will stop the boats, break the business model of the criminal gangs, stop children from losing their lives making this perilous journey and ensure that it is us – your government – who decides who comes to this country.

This week, we removed the first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda, the first time a failed asylum seeker has been sent to a third country they have no connection to. It proves Rwanda is a safe country and the system works.

By contrast, Labour has no plan to deal with illegal migration. They would scrap the Rwanda scheme with nothing to put in its place. They would have to release everyone we have detained to go to Rwanda, cancel the flights and admit tens of thousands of people to the asylum system. This would double the asylum backlog. How would Sir

Keir Starmer resolve this? He wouldn’t be able to, so Labour would offer a de facto asylum amnesty. This would act as a massive pull factor bringing illegal migrants from all over Europe to our shores. We are making progress on legal migration too. I have taken steps to halve legal migration and data released this week shows that our plan is working. The number of student dependents is down 80 per cent and those coming on the health and social care visa in March were down by almost a third compared to last year. At the same time, we have increased the immigration and health surcharge to make sure immigration does not place an unfair burden on the NHS.

Getting immigration under control is just one of my aims. Across the board, we are taking a truly Conservative approach. Our second personal tax cut is hitting pay packets. I have announced a plan to clamp down on welfare spending. Labour will always find a reason to oppose tax cuts and welfare savings.

We are committed to national defence which is why we have a funded plan to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent by 2030. Labour, by contrast, refuses to match that.

Thursday’s results showed voters are frustrated. Yet the fact that Labour is not winning in places they admit they need for a majority, shows Sir Keir Starmer’s lack of plan and vision is hurting them. We Conservatives have everything to fight for – and we will because we are fighting for our values and our country’s future.

Rishi Sunak with Rachel Houchen – and baby Hannah – in Tees Valley, left, where Tory mayor Ben Houchen kept Labour at bay; above, Angela Rayner and Sir Keir Starmer toast Chris Webb’s success in the South Blackpool by-election; right, the Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate Howling Laud Hope and colleagues await for the Blackpool result Sir Keir will be frustrated his personal appeal to the voters of Harlow was rejected