In a separate Telegraph article, Sir Bill Cash, a veteran Conservative Brexiteer, warned that voters “will not excuse failure on the illegal migration issue in yet another Bill”.
On Saturday, Labour said it expected that a surge in illegal Channel crossings this weekend would make 2023 the second highest year for crossings on record despite Mr Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats”.
A second senior Tory warned that Mr Sunak faced the genuine prospect of a leadership challenge from the Right of the party if he was seen to deliver weak legislation unlikely to fix the problem after the Supreme Court ruled the Rwanda deportation policy unlawful.
Sir Keir used his article to pitch himself as the heir to Thatcher, Clement Attlee and Sir Tony Blair, saying they all realised “that politics must act in service of the British people rather than dictating to them”.
It comes almost four years on from the Tories’ 2019 landslide, as Labour ramps up its preparations for an election campaign. In an email to supporters last week, the party said: “All signals are pointing to polling day in May. The Tories are about to pull a series of stunts to try to make people forget about their failures and save their plummeting poll numbers.”
Sir Keir said he had administered “shock therapy” to Labour over the last three years after taking over from Jeremy Corbyn. Appealing directly to Conservative voters, he added: “Across Britain, there are people who feel disillusioned, frustrated, angry, worried. Many of them have always voted Conservative but feel that their party has left them.
“I understand that. I saw that with my own party and acted to fix it. But I also understand that many will still be uncertain about Labour. I ask them to take a look at us again.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
