Liz Truss has been accused of stopping the publication of the Foreign Office’s annual human rights report because it is likely to contain criticism of Rwanda’s human rights record.
This year’s version of the annual assessment of how the UK views other countries’ rights records was due before the summer parliamentary recess, and is now the most delayed since the review was launched by then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook 21 years ago.
Critics said the impasse could be an attempt to dampen criticism of Rwanda, to which the government wants to deport migrants and asylum seekers, or because Truss is focusing on the Conservative leadership race, where he the clear favorite against Rishi Sunak.
Sunak insisted on Thursday that he still has “a shot at being prime minister”, even though a new poll says Truss has a 32-point lead as the contest enters its final fortnight.
The YouGov poll, with Sky News, found Truss had 66% of members backing her, with 34% backing Sunak, excluding don’t know.
The former chancellor sought to reinvigorate his campaign with another flurry of policy announcements, centering on a plan to improve NHS dental services, including a program of “early intervention” checks in primary schools.
During the leadership contest, Truss has said he supports and would expand on the controversial Rwanda policy.
Court documents arising from proceedings to block the plan have shown that the UK High Commissioner to Rwanda warned against the plan because the nation “has been accused of recruiting refugees to carry out armed operations in neighboring countries”.
The delayed Foreign Office rights report is expected to include further criticism of Rwanda. The latest edition, published in July 2021, said that “critical voices continued to face heavy restrictions” in the country. He also condemned the death in police custody of a reconciliation activist, Kizito Mihigo.
There were regular case studies on Rwanda in all reports from 2011 to 2014, with criticism of abuses and restrictions.
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Lord Wood of Anfield, a Labor peer and member of the Lords’ international relations committee, said: “At best, this is another example of how government business has ground to a halt while Liz Truss is engaged in his bitter contest with Rishi Sunak. At worst, I suspect it is a cynical attempt by the Foreign Secretary to delay scrutiny of what the report says about Rwanda. Either way, there is no reason for this unprecedented delay.”
In July, the Foreign Office told Labor MP Tulip Siddiq that the 2021 global human rights report would be published before the start of the recess.
The report, which reflects the UK’s view of the previous calendar year’s human rights reports, is usually published between March and June. Under Labor was occasionally published even earlier, at the close of the year it covered. On Thursday night, a Foreign Office spokesman said: “We will publish the annual human rights and democracy report in due course.”
Interviewed on ITV’s This Morning on Thursday, Sunak said he “definitely” had a chance of winning the contest, despite Truss’ poll results.
Unlike Sunak, Truss has generally avoided longer TV interviews during the campaign. This Morning co-presenter Rochelle Humes said the show had “reached out” to Truss, but to no avail.
Truss has now agreed to be interviewed by Nick Robinson on BBC1, the corporation said. However, this will happen on August 30, just three days before the polls close.
Ahead of Friday’s ninth operating event in Manchester, Truss’ campaign was limited to a brief announcement about a “vision for the North West”, which largely recast existing policies such as better rail links and more return
Instead, Sunak sought to address the crisis in access to NHS dentists, in an ad referencing recent BBC research which found that 90% of NHS dental practices are not accepting new patients.
As well as a pilot scheme for primary school dental check-ups, Sunak said he would cap dental funding within the NHS, with health commissioners required to demonstrate they provide wider access to dentists, using mobile clinics if necessary.
Sunak also pledged to reform NHS contracts for dental work to try to prevent so many dentists moving into private practice, make it easier for foreign dentists to register for NHS work and allow staff, such as now dental nurses and hygienists, do more work. routine treatments.