Tory leaders have ditched plans to house asylum seekers at a closed RAF base in Yorkshire.
In a plan unveiled by Priti Patel and Boris Johnson, the Home Office claimed in April that it would “shortly open a new, bespoke, asylum reception centre in Linton-on-Ouse”.
Up to 1,500 men were due to be housed there under the scheme, which was detailed as part of the bid to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Boris Johnson claimed the centre would be “like those in Greece” and the first tranche of 60 men were meant to have been moved there by the end of May.
But there was a fierce local backlash, with local Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake branding the plan in a village of 600 people “absolutely disgraceful”.
Now the site has been “withdrawn” for Home Office use - and both candidates for Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, have said it will not go ahead.
However, the door appeared to remain open to opening an accommodation centre or centres on a different site in future.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said today: “I have obligations to do something else with that site.
"And you know there are other sites we made available to the Home Office if they wish to take it up."
He confirmed: "I have withdrawn the offer of that site to the Home Office. It was one of, I think, five sites we offered at the time.”
It came after Rishi Sunak, whose seat is in Richmond, North Yorkshire, said he would withdraw the plans if he becomes Prime Minister.
He told the Yorkshire Post: “This plan clearly does not have local support and I am concerned that the availability of the site has taken precedence over its suitability.
“That is why I will ask my home secretary to review the plans so that an alternative solution can be found.”
After Ben Wallace made his comments, Liz Truss said the proposed centre in Linton-on-Ouse was "not going ahead".
Asked if she wanted to axe it she said: “Well, my understanding from the Defence Secretary is that site is not going ahead. So, it's a moot point because it won't be going forward."
Mr Wallace - a Liz Truss supporter - said it was a “surprise” that Mr Sunak opposed the plan now because “he didn’t oppose it when he was in government”.
Within minutes of condemning “blue-on-blue” in the leadership race he added: “He was certainly supportive of it at the time. He isn't now, interestingly enough.”
A Government spokesperson said: “The government is steadfastly committed to tackling illegal migration and stopping dangerous small boat crossings.
“The government will continue to identify appropriate sites for Greek-style asylum reception centres which will play a key role in reducing the number of asylum seekers in hotels which cost the taxpayer more than £5 million each day.”
