His Tory rivals, Sajid Javid and Tom Tugendhat, also vowed to press ahead with the plan to use the central African country to “offshore” migrants arriving in small boats. Considered a Tory moderate, Mr Hunt is keen to build support from people on the right of the party who want to see further crackdowns on small boat crossings in the Channel. “I think we should stop the small boats. I support the current policy,” the former cabinet minister told the BBC’s Sunday Morning show. But he also went a step further than those who supported Home Secretary Priti Patel’s plan by saying he would like to expand the program to other countries. “Hopefully we could find some other countries as well as Rwanda,” Hunt told the Sunday Telegraph. “If we want to be a humane country that offers a safe haven for people who really need asylum, then we need to find legal, safe routes for people to come here – not a crazy urge for people to take their own lives their. people smugglers and trying to cross the channel,” Mr Hunt added to Sky News. Mr Tugendhat – hoping to win the support of the One Nation wing of the Tory moderates – also said he would maintain the “solve Rwanda” policy proposed by Boris Johnson’s government. “The Rwandan solution is not one that one would initially choose, but the reality is that you cannot have rewards for criminality and illegal activity,” he told the Sunday Times. Mr Javid also supported the Rwanda plan on the BBC. “I agreed to this policy.” Plans for Rwanda’s first flight were halted at the last minute last week by rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and the UK Court of Appeal. Further attempts to fly out migrants are not likely to come until after the judicial review begins next week, although No 10 has not ruled it out, despite Mr Johnson’s status as caretaker prime minister. Mr Hunt and Mr Tugendhat have pledged to push ahead with Boris Johnson’s controversial legislation to unilaterally remove Brexit controls in defiance of the EU. Remain supporters have both vowed to press ahead with the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, despite warnings that it would breach international law. Mr Tugendhat said it was good “negotiating leverage” to push the EU further on easing controls. All the candidates who entered the race in the last 24 hours have pledged to cut taxes. Mr Hunt and Mr Javid both suggested they would block another Scottish independence referendum for at least a decade. Mr Tugendhat said the most naughty thing he had ever done was “invade a country” – referring to his time in the army during the invasion of Iraq. Meanwhile, Tory leadership teams are reportedly drawing up dossiers full of compromises against rival candidates and their aides. At least two rival election campaign groups have reportedly handed over digital Labor files full of allegations against potential opponents, according to the Sunday Times – with even candidates’ staff allegedly being targeted. Labor MP Chris Bryant tweeted: “The stories being circulated about the various leadership candidates are so bleak it’s hard to believe, but it’s even more strange that Tory MPs are circulating them.”
