Sunak vow to end small boat crossings doomed to fail, senior Tories fear

Rishi Sunak’s latest pledge to stop illegal Channel migrants before the next election could backfire, according to senior Conservatives. The prime minister is expected to unveil new legislation tomorrow designed to stop asylum seekers from using human rights laws to avoid deportation. But senior Tories have told The Independent they fear he has “over-promised” and will be forced to break his pledge to “stop the boats” before the general election expected to take place in late 2024. They say the “clock is ticking” and that a political wrangle over the new laws will mean they will be held up in parliament and won’t reach the statute book in time to take effect before polling day.