Home Secretary James Cleverley defended the government's record on immigration, claiming the numbers were falling. He told GB News: “Illegal immigration has fallen thanks to the measures I have taken and we have seen some unusual circumstances in recent times. We have seen many people leaving the country, particularly after Covid, returning home thinking that this may be the last time they will see their families. Many people have left during Covid and many have returned. Also, these figures are skewed by our offer to Ukrainian refugees…” “These figures are now falling thanks to the measures we are taking on illegal immigration. We have the Rwanda Scheme up and running, but it has been postponed by the Labour vote, which is very frustrating for our viewers and for me as the Home Secretary. “Labour has voted against border control measures more than 130 times, and so it is with respect to reform voters. I understand their frustration in these areas, but the simple truth of the matter is that reform is [win] At the next general election, Cleverley said, “If a Labour government were to open up completely on border controls, oppose the Rwanda Plan and zero immigration, it would reverse the numbers on legal immigration, which are going in the right direction. On illegal immigration, they've said they'd scrap the Rwanda Plan, and they have a big idea, a big proposal, of creating a border patrol force that already exists… If you vote for reform, you open the door to a Labour government, and your government opens the door to our country.” Cleverley also addressed the Conservatives' National Service policy, and did not rule out the possibility of volunteers being deployed to the frontline in a future conflict. He also denied claims that the Conservative MPs' resignations were a sign that the Conservatives would suffer a crushing defeat at the election. See above.
