Rishi Suank ought to pay up on £1,000 wager with Piers Morgan, says Angela Rayner

Rishi Sunak should pay up on his £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan over Rwanda flights, Angela Rayner has told the Mirror.

The PM shook hands with the TV host, agreeing a costly wager that migrant flights would take off before the General Election. Mr Morgan claimed victory yesterday, after the PM admitted no planes would take off before July 4 – and suggested he should pay the £1,000 to the Red Cross.

But Mr Sunak has thus far failed to pay up – with Tory sources claiming the bet is void because a single migrant voluntarily moved to Rwanda last month. The unnamed migrant was paid £3,000 to agree to the scheme.

Speaking to the Mirror in Llandudno yesterday, Ms Rayner was shocked that Mr Sunak had reneged on the bet. “What’s a grand to Rishi?” Labour ’s deputy leader said.

“He’s richer than the King now apparently. He should give it to charity. Just give some money to the Red Cross, it might help his ratings at the minute. That’s probably about 3 seconds of interest.”

Ms Rayner added: “The fact that the PM has come out in the last 24 hours saying no flights will take off, and we’ve had commitments all along about Rwanda as their flagship programme… How many billions, how much money has already gone? And all we’ve sent over is a few Home Secretaries so far.

“That is so scandalous. It is so transparently a gimmick. Keir will not put the Rwanda scheme in place, because it is a gimmick. It’s less than 1% of the people arriving.

“[Starmer] is going to direct those resources to the NCA to work with counterterrorism, to smash the gangs – because otherwise, what, are you waiting for them to drown in the sea? That’s not ok as a policy.”