Sir Desmond Swayne

Sir Desmond Swayne

Conservative — New Forest West

Speaking in the House of Commons on 23 July 2024

Debate

Immigration and Home Affairs

Contribution

That is absolutely right, but we did not do that. We did not spend our money in that way. We supported people under desperate regimes, not by giving money to those regimes but by providing sustenance through third parties and NGOs, which delivered that. Some of the greatest damage done by much of our own press was how our international development aid effort was painted as destructive in the way that was just described. It never was. I return to my original point: we cannot take everybody, and we certainly needed somewhere else where they could have gone. Rwanda struck me as somewhere that that possibility could blossom.

More from Sir Desmond Swayne

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

About Hansard

Hansard is the official verbatim record of proceedings in the UK Parliament. Every word spoken in the Commons and Lords is recorded and published — this page is a single contribution from that record.

For Sir Desmond Swayne's full parliamentary record including voting history, expenses and all other contributions, see the Sir Desmond Swayne report card.