Tories

TORIES will promise to introduce a US-style immigration force to deport up to 150,000 people a year.

Leader Kemi Badenoch will unveil the Conservatives’ toughest border policies yet at her first party conference.

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The plan is part of a policy blitz as the Tories try to stop haemorrhaging support to Reform UK.

Ms Badenoch will pledge to create a £1.6billion removals force like the hardline US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Since President Donald Trump’s second term started in January, it has seen more than two million illegal immigrants either leave the US voluntarily or be removed.

As the party faithful gathered in Manchester, Ms Badenoch — who turned up hand-in-hand with husband Hamish — said: “We must tackle the scourge of illegal immigration to Britain and secure our borders.

“That is why the Conservatives are setting out a serious and comprehensive new plan to end this crisis.

“Labour offer failed gimmicks like ‘one thousand in, one out’.

“Reform have nothing but announcements that fall apart on arrival.”

The plan — if the Conservatives win the next election — would see all new illegal migrants deported within a week of arrival.

The “Removals Force” would be handed sweeping powers like facial recognition to spot them.

Police will have to conduct immigration checks on everyone they stop.

Illegal migrants would be banned from claiming asylum and refugee status will be for only those whose government is trying to kill them.

Immigration tribunals would be abolished and legal aid denied.

Ms Badenoch has committed to taking the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights — used to argue against deportations.

But she has been accused of mimicking Nigel Farage’s Reform policies with tougher stances on borders and net zero.

Insiders claim Tory MPs are holding on to letters calling for Ms Badenoch to quit so they can use them when she can be challenged after a year in office — on November 3.

But others expect a move would be more likely after May’s local elections.

Asked if they will topple Ms Badenoch after another bad performance at the ballot box, Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho told The Sun on Sunday: “Kemi’s had one of the toughest jobs in politics.

“If you’re someone who takes over a party after it’s lost an election, it’s a pretty rough ride.

“We’re now taking on energy and you’ll see even more from us on immigration.

“Those are the things that I think the public care about.”

But on the eve of the Conference, London Assembly member Keith Prince became the latest Tory to jump ship to Reform.

A Labour Party spokesperson insisted: “The Conservatives’ message on immigration is; we got everything wrong, we won’t apologise, now trust us.

“It won’t wash.”

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The Conservative Party has written to Sir Keir Starmer demanding answers over the extent of Downing Street’s knowledge of Lord Mandelson’s links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Tories also called for the prime minister to release documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment, including evidence that shows how No 10 reacted when they learned of his ties to Epstein.

On Sunday, the BBC reported that Starmer explicitly asked Mandelson about his links to the paedophile before deciding to appoint him as ambassador to the US.

Mandelson was sacked last week after a cache of emails reported by Bloomberg showed supportive messages he sent after Epstein plead guilty to sex offences.

In the letter to the prime minister, Tory MP Alex Burghart questioned what and when Sir Keir knew of Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein before defending the former ambassador during Prime Minister’s Questions last Wednesday.

He added that the scandal had exposed the PM’s “appalling judgement”.

“He ignored warnings about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, forced through his appointment, and is avoiding scrutiny about what he knew,” Burghart wrote.

The Conservative MP’s letter also demanded the release of what he called the “Mandelson-Epstein Files” – government correspondence and internal documents related to the pair – and for Sir Keir and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney to give evidence to Parliament.

Downing Street have already stressed the prime minister only knew the contents of the emails last Wednesday evening and acted swiftly in sacking Mandelson within hours.

This scandal, following so soon after Angela Rayner’s resignation, has encouraged some Labour MPs to become more vocal in their criticism of the prime minister.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s The Westminster Hour on Sunday, Labour MP Helen Hayes said if the scandal were to affect the party’s chances in next year’s local elections in May, there will be questions about Starmer’s leadership.

“If those elections don’t go well then that will be the time to ask questions… questions about the nature of the leadership and whether things can continue as they are, but we’re not at that point now,” she said.

Hayes added that she felt “devastated” about Mandelson, but said she believed he shouldn’t have been appointed.

“I think there is a question about how frank he [Mandelson] was in the original vetting process. If he was not frank about that association, then that should be dealt with and his ability to speak as a Labour peer should be taken away from him,” she said.

Mandelson has repeatedly expressed regret about his relationship with Epstein who died in jail in 2019.

Over the weekend, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of lying to the public and said he had “very serious questions to answer”.