No 10 doubles down on Johnson’s criticism of archbishops over Rwanda plan

Officials decline to deny PM claimed church more vocal about asylum policy than about Russia

Politics live: latest developments Ukraine-Russia war: latest updates

Downing Street has gone into open battle with the Church of England over its condemnation of the Rwanda deportation scheme, after No 10 officials doubled down on Boris Johnson’s criticism that archbishops were being unfairly critical.

After Johnson told prime minister’s questions he was “slightly taken aback” by comments from the archbishops of Canterbury and York, his press secretary declined to deny the PM had claimed the church was being more vocal about the asylum policy than in its criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

794

629