Former Prime Minister Sir John Major criticized the previous government’s asylum scheme for Rwanda, describing it as “unconservative and un-British”.
The scheme aims to stop people crossing the English Channel in small boats by sending some migrants who arrive in the UK illegally to East African countries.
However, the scheme was stalled by legal challenges and scrapped by the new Labor government, with no migrants sent to Rwanda under the scheme.
Sir John, who was Conservative prime minister from 1990 to 1997, told the BBC’s Amol Rajan that he found the plan “abhorrent”.
“I think it’s unconservative, it’s un-British, and if someone dares to say that in a secular society, it’s un-Christian and unreasonable, I think that’s really not the way to treat people,” he said.
Asked whether the scheme was a necessary deterrent to stop small boats crossing the border, Sir John said: “They were seriously saying to me that in a remote area of some North African country they were actually aware of the legislation in the UK Parliament. What’s the purpose? I don’t think so.
He added: “If this were to happen, it would probably be [a deterrent] — but it’s still disgusting in my opinion.
In the wide-ranging interview, Sir John was also asked about his views on the future of the Conservative Party.
The former prime minister said he hasn’t given many TV interviews recently because “there’s not a lot I have to say in support of what the previous government did”.
He added: “I think it’s best not to go on the air again. Of course, now that the election is behind us and the party is looking back to the future, I can speak again and hopefully get support.”
Asked whether his party should have lost the general election in July, when the Conservatives suffered the worst defeat in the party’s parliamentary history, Sir John said “there comes a time when democracy requires a change of government”.
Sir John’s government was also brought down by a Labor landslide in 1997 when Tony Blair came to power.
“I could see that in 1997, we had been in government for 18 years and quite rightly we were exhausted and we had no new people to appoint ministers and energize the government,” he said.
“Of course, the same thing applies [with the recent election results]although only 14 years.
Sir John urged his party to look to the centre-right “where our natural support really lies” and argued the Conservatives had lost far more seats to Labor and the Lib Dems than to the right-wing Reform Party.
“We lost five [seats] People are jumping up and down in order to reform Britain and some pretty reckless people are saying we have to merge with them.
“Well, that would be fatal.”
However, Sir John said he was “optimistic” about the party’s future, adding: “We have suffered such a heavy defeat but we have a basis to build on with a new approach that I think could be effective. way to build.
Sir John says he has yet to decide who he will support as the next Tory leader. Who will be announced on November 2.
But he added: “I would like to support those who are looking at the long-term issues and make recommendations on the direction we should go in order to bring real centre-right people back into the party.”
