The Standard View: The Government's Rwanda focus diverts attention from practical policies

If you think you had a suboptimal start to the day, just imagine: you could have scheduled a breakfast meeting with the European Research Group. The Prime Minister met Conservative backbenchers this morning to discuss their concerns with the emergency Rwanda legislation, which they say does not go “far enough to deliver the policy as intended”.

With the policy opposed by Labour and Tory rebels alike, perhaps it is no surprise that a new poll for the Standard reveals that eight in 10 Britons believe the Government is doing a bad job in handling immigration, while 69 per cent are dissatisfied with Rishi Sunak’s performance as Prime Minister.

The question that arises is why Sunak is throwing good political capital after bad in making the Rwanda scheme so central to his premiership. Not least when the policy will have little impact on overall migration numbers, while Home Office officials accept there is little evidence it will act as a deterrent.

Immigration matters. The Government should have — and be seen to have — control over who comes to Britain. It is also vital to our economy and public services. But the Prime Minister risks losing focus on key areas that might improve lives and win his party support.

For a meeting that will go some way to determining whether future generations will get to inherit a habitable planet, COP28 seems intensely relaxed about carbon dioxide. As of this morning, the draft text does not even appear to include language that fossil fuels should be “phased out”. This is a worrisome and retrograde step.

To commit to keeping 1.5C alive and to averting catastrophic climate change without ending the use of fossil fuels is not a serious proposition. It is mere virtue signalling and not an especially virtuous kind.

Whatever is agreed in Dubai, the Earth itself will survive. It was here before us and will remain after us. What is at stake instead is a habitable planet, one on which people can live meaningful, happy and healthy lives. As of right now, that is no guarantee.

If it is four o’clock that can only mean one thing: West End Final. And today, the Standard’s award-winning newsletter, written and edited by chief leader writer Jack Kessler, has surpassed 100,000 subscribers. Put another way, its fanbase could no longer fit inside the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge combined.

Each afternoon, West End Final guides readers through the day’s biggest stories and tries to make sense of the news. If you haven’t already signed up, you can easily do so. A delight awaits at standard.co.uk/newsletters.