Rishi Sunak pledges to double number of foreign offenders deported

Tory leadership candidate says current system too soft but rival Truss camp says plan is unworkable

Rishi Sunak has unveiled another new policy in the battle between the Conservative leadership candidates to be tougher on immigration, promising that as prime minister he would double the number of overseas offenders who are deported each year.

In a plan immediately criticised by his rival Liz Truss's camp as unworkable, the former chancellor said he would change the deportation rules so that overseas nationals convicted even of relatively minor crimes such as shoplifting could be deported.