James Cleverly clashed with the BBC’s Amol Rajan in a bad-tempered interview this morning.
The host of Radio 4’s Today programme grilled the Home Secretary on the Rwanda plan following the Supreme Court’s ruling that it is unlawful.
But Mr Cleverly accused Mr Rajan of “making statements” rather than asking questions and not giving him a chance to respond.
The senior Conservative MP said: “No hang on, are you asking questions or are you making statements because if you’re just going to make a statement I can go and get a cup of tea.”
Mr Rajan replied: “No, no, you’re making statements, I’m trying to ask questions and you’re not answering.”
Mr Cleverly said: “No, no, you’re not asking questions you’re making statements.
“I’m here, I want to answer your questions but you’re making statements and then moving on without giving me an opportunity to address the statements that you make, a number of which I disagree with.”
Mr Rajan said: “They are not my statements. I am reporting what people like Jonathan Sumption have got to say.”
Earlier in the interview, Mr Cleverly hit back at criticism from former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda fightback.
Following the Supreme Court ruling against the policy, the Prime Minister announced he would seek an upgraded treaty with Kigali and introduce emergency legislation deeming the African nation as safe.
Lord Sumption described the Government’s plan to bring forward an emergency law as “constitutionally really quite extraordinary”.
Mr Cleverly said: “Find me two lawyers and I will give you three opinions.”
When Mr Rajan put it to him that it was an “extraordinary thing to say”, the Home Secretary went on: “Lawyers argue all the time, that’s literally what they do. I have very eminent lawyers who take a different view.”
He said the Government had “listened very carefully to what was actually said” in the Supreme Court and is taking action to address the “specific deficiencies” identified by the judges.
The UK’s highest court yesterday rejected the Government’s appeal over its policy of removing Channel migrants to Rwanda .
Five senior judges unanimously ruled that the plans are unlawful because there is a risk genuine asylum seekers could be forced back to their country of origin by Kigali.
