Rishi Sunak has lost his £1,000 charity bet with Piers Morgan after admitting there will be no flights to Rwanda before the election.
The Prime Minister made the admission as he toured the broadcast studios ahead of a two-day trip across the UK to mark the start of the campaign.
Mr Sunak called the election on Wednesday night in a rain-soaked press statement in Downing Street, with the date set for July 4.
He and his ministers have repeatedly marked early July for when the first one-way deportation flight for migrants to east African nation Rwanda will take place.
Speaking to LBC, the Prime Minister conceded these will now take off “after the election”.
“If I’m elected, we will get the flights off,” he said.
Pressed further on timing, he said: “No, after the election.
“The preparation work has already gone on.”
Speaking to GB News, he had earlier insisted the Rwanda scheme would provide a deterrent, adding: “Unless you’re able to deliver that, people will keep coming.”
The Prime Minister denied that the real reason for calling a summer election is that inflation is expected to rise again and there is likely to be a spike in small boat arrivals over the summer.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the Prime Minister said: “No, that’s not the real reason.
“And when it comes to the economy, of course I know there’s more work to do. I know that people are only just starting to feel the benefits of the changes that we’ve brought.
“And for some people when they look at their bank balance at the end of every month it will still be difficult, but we have undeniably made progress and stability has returned.”
Sunak will now have to give £1000 to a refugee charity after losing the bet to Morgan, although it is yet to see whether he the multimillionaire will be a man of his word.
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