Ed Davey has accused the Conservatives of ‘betraying’ the national interest as the party presses forward with its asylum plans.
The prime minister was forced to defend his flagship asylum policy last week after the Supreme Court ruled the Rwanda scheme unlawful.
Rishi Sunak told the Commons he would do “whatever it takes to stop the boats,” including introducing emergency legislation that will define Rwanda as a safe country.
Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a school in Bolsover, Mr Sunak insisted he will “work night and day” to ensure domestic courts cannot “systemically” block flights to the east African nation.
But in an exclusive interview with The London Economic, the Lib Dem leader called for a more “sensible” alternative that benefits both asylum seekers and taxpayers.
“We’ve been putting forward much more sensible alternatives for some time, and I think the latest events last week just prove the point we’re making,” he said.
“The fact they [the government] want to try and make it work, despite all the evidence, is a sad indictment of an exerted party.
“It’s costing the taxpayer billions, it means that people who’ve had a tough time – their lives are on hold. They’re not able to move forward and make a contribution which undermines our country.
He added: “And it seems to me they’re doing it for party benefit to create more tensions. I think it’s despicable.”
“Parallel universe”
Davey, who suggested the Conservatives are deliberately dithering over immigration in time for the next election, said asylum seekers should have the right to work after three months.
In most cases, asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the UK, with individuals only able to apply if they’ve waited 12 months for a decision and are not considered responsible for delays.
Until mid-2002, asylum seekers could apply for permission to work if they had been waiting six months for an initial decision on their claim.
This concession was scrapped by the Labour government which introduced a right to apply for permission to work after 12 months in 2005 to comply with EU law.
“There’s a whole series of things that could be done. First of all, let’s make it clear, the Liberal Democrats don’t want to see people coming across the Channel on boats. The question is how best to do it,” he said.
“The Liberal Democrats have long argued that asylum seekers should have the right to work after three months while their asylum application is being processed.
“That’s good for them and their mental health, and it’s good for their families. It’s great for the taxpayer and great for the economy. I’m trying to be reasonable and use common sense.”
He added: “It’s almost as if we live in this parallel universe for the Conservatives. They want to be as nasty as possible, even though it’s bad for our economy and bad for the taxpayer. It just doesn’t make any sense.“
“We need to see the back of the Conservatives“
Desperate to translate recent by-election victories into a haul of parliamentary seats, the Lib Dem leader is confident about his party’s prospect at the next election.
But Davey reaffirmed the importance of communicating key pledges carefully as the country continues to find itself firmly within the grip of the ‘culture wars’.
He said: “I think actually, if we think about carefully how we communicate our commitment to make our country a better place, a fairer place a greener place, or caring place, then I think we can get our arguments over in a way which reaches people’s hearts and speaks to their emotions.”
Sarah Dyke became the latest candidate to deliver a shocking blow to the Conservative government, overturning a majority of 19,213 to take Somerton and Frome.
The party gained more than 400 councils in May’s local elections, taking control of 12 authorities including Windsor and Maidenhead, and Stratford-on-Avon.
“The Liberal Democrats have been calling for a general election for some time. Some people have said a bit cynically that it’s because we’re doing so well with all our successes, local election and our by election victories, and we do feel we’re we’re on the up.
“But actually, the real reason is that the country needs to see the back of the Conservatives. We really, really need to see new people. [The Conservatives’] economic policies, their social policies, their environmental policies – they’re just awful.”
Related: Supreme Court rules Government’s Rwanda asylum policy is UNLAWFUL