Sir John Major has criticised the previous government’s Rwanda scheme, stating it is an unsuitable policy for the 21st century and branding it “un-Conservative and un-British”.

The former prime minister said he dislikes “intensely the way society has come to regard immigration as an ill” and warned that a Tory merger with Reform UK would be “fatal”.

Sir John said: “I thought it was un-Conservative, un-British, if one dare say in a secular society, un-Christian, and unconscionable and I thought that this is really not the way to treat people.”

In an interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan, he added: “We used to transport people, nearly 300 years ago, from our country. Felons, who at least have had a trial, and been found guilty of something, albeit that the trial might have been cursory.

“I don’t think transportation, for that is what it is, is a policy suitable for the 21st century.”

The policy, which was scrapped by Sir Keir Starmer in July, aimed to deter asylum seekers by sending those who arrived in the UK illegally to the east African country.

Labour has now announced that money allocated to pay for the previous government’s Rwanda scheme will go towards the Border Security Command.

Pressed on whether the policy acts as a deterrent, Sir John replied: “Are they seriously saying to me that somewhere in the back woods of some North Africa country, they actually know what the British Parliament has legislated for? I think not.”

Sir John Major during his time as prime minister in the 1990s
Sir John Major during his time as prime minister (John Giles/PA)

Sir John said he dislikes “intensely the way society has come to regard immigration as an ill in the way it has. I don’t agree with that, I’ve never agreed with it”.

He added that people who come to the UK on small boats do so “because they’re not quite sure where to go”.

Sir John, who served as prime minister from November 1990 to May 1997, said he had not decided which Tory leadership contender to support, with Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat standing.

He said: “I would like to support someone who’s going to look at the long-term problems and make a suggestion as to which direction we should go and bring people back into the party who are genuinely centre right.”

He added: “The only party that can legitimately appeal to the centre right is the Conservative Party. And that is what we have to do, we have to decide where our natural support really lies and appeal to them.

“People may have made a misjudgement about the last election. We lost five votes (seats) to Reform UK and people are jumping up and down, and some, rather reckless people are saying, well we must merge with them.

“Well, that will be fatal.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage smoking a cigarette
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

He continued: “I do think traditionally we have been a commonsense party. And I’m optimistic. I think we have had such a bad defeat, we have got a base upon which we can build, in a wholly new and, I think, potentially effective way.”

On whether Nigel Farage should join the Tory party, Sir John said he does not “share that view”, adding: “I don’t think he’s a Conservative, and he’s spent most of his time in the last few years telling people how much he dislikes the Conservative Party and would like to destroy it.

“I don’t think that’s a terribly good background for bringing someone into the party.”