Rishi Sunak has repeatedly refused to deny he had significant doubts about the government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The flagship immigration scheme was first announced in April 2022 when Boris Johnson was prime minister and Sunak was chancellor.
Since becoming prime minister in October 2022, Sunak has made getting the Rwanda policy up and running the central plank of his premiership.
But government documents from March 2022 seen by the BBC suggest as chancellor he was unconvinced it would stop people crossing the Channel.
The papers said he not only had concerns about the high cost but believed the “deterrent won’t work”.
In an interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the prime minister was questioned several times if he had doubts.
Asked if he would “admit you had reservations”, Sunak said: “No. I haven’t seen these documents so I can’t comment on them specifically.”
He was pressed: “Do you deny completely that you ever had any doubts about he efficacy or the value for money of sending migrants to Rwanda?”
But avoiding a direct answer, Sunak would only say he did “absolutely believe in the value and importance of having deterrence”.
“In terms of the scheme, I was chancellor at the time, my job is to make sure we get value for money. Of course I would rigorously scrutinise any proposal that crossed by desk.
He addd: “Ultimately I agreed with the prime minister and we funded the proposal.”
Labour has demanded the government publish the documents in full in order to be “honest with the public”.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael said “slippery Sunak” had to “come clean” with voters.
“Even the prime minister knows that this scheme only serves to more throw taxpayers’ money onto the ever growing bonfire of Conservative government waste,” he said.