Senior Tories demand Sunak ditches ‘mindless’ crackdown on overseas students

Former universities ministers David Willetts, Jo Johnson and Chris Skidmore say PM's move will hit economy and levelling up

Rishi Sunak is facing an immediate backlash over plans for a mindless crackdown" on overseas students, as three former Tory university ministers warned it would hit attempts to level up the country and hold back Britain's faltering economy.

Tory discontent is growing on several fronts just weeks into Sunak's premiership, with rebellions growing this weekend over housebuilding plans and his vow to keep a ban on new onshore windfarms.