Truss accused of delaying human rights report over criticism of Rwanda’s record

Liz Truss has been accused of holding up publication of the Foreign Office’s annual human rights report because it is likely to contain criticisms of Rwanda’s human rights record.

- Patrick Wintour and Peter Walker

This year’s version of the annual assessment of how the UK views other countries’ rights records had been due before the parliamentary summer recess, and is now the most delayed since the review was launched by the then foreign secretary, Robin Cook, 21 years ago. Critics said the impasse could be an attempt to quash criticism of Rwanda, to which the government wants to deport migrants and asylum seekers, or because Truss is focused on the Conservative leadership race, where she is the clear favourite over Rishi Sunak.

Sunak insisted yesterday he still had “a shot of being prime minister”, despite a new poll saying Truss has a 32-point lead as the contest enters its final fortnight. The YouGov poll, with Sky News, found 66% of Conservative party members backing Truss and 34% backing Sunak, excluding don’t knows.

The former chancellor sought to reinvigorate his campaign with another flurry of policy announcements, centred on a plan to improve NHS dental services, including a programme of “early intervention” checkups in primary schools.