Rishi Sunak Refuses To Honour Piers Morgan Rwanda Bet, Claims One Asylum Seeker Deported

Downing Street has refused to honour Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan that no one would be sent to Rwanda before the election, noting that one asylum seeker went there voluntarily.

Morgan called out Sunak on Thursday evening writing: “Dear Prime Minister… following your admission today that no flights will take off to Rwanda before the election, please send £1000 to @BritishRedCross.”

In a Talk TV interview in February for Piers Morgan Uncensored, Sunak shook the host’s hand in acceptance of the wager that the government would be successful in getting deportation flights off the ground before the general election took place. The policy, which became a central goal for the prime minister, aimed at tackling illegal migration by processing claims in the African nation. The plan eventually was passed, after a long fight in parliament and a set back rejection from the Supreme Court.

However, Sunak admitted on Thursday that no asylum seekers would be deported to Rwanda before the election but that Rwanda flights would take off if he won the election on July 4. Labour has vowed to scrap the Rwanda plan if elected, making it a key issue in the upcoming election. The admission led Morgan to call in his bet.

Speaking to the Telegraph on Friday, Downing Street said Sunak would not be honouring the bet because one person had already flown to Rwanda under a voluntary scheme, receiving £3,000 in public money to incentivise their move there.

A Downing Street source added: “The choice is flights off with us, flights grounded and an amnesty for illegal migrants under Labour. But the important thing is what people vote for in this election. If they want an amnesty to let illegal migrants in, that’s what Labour are offering, but if they want to stop the boats they should vote Conservative.”

Reading the government’s response, Morgan replied on X: “WHAT?! You can’t be serious @10DowningStreet ???”