A Conservative Campaign Headquarters dossier notes Ms McKenzie was behind one of the legal challenges which forced the grounding of what would have been the first Rwanda deportation flight on June 14 last year.
“Great news – Leigh Day’s immigration and asylum team obtain an injunction in the past few minutes for our client scheduled to be on the Rwanda flight,” she tweeted.
Ms McKenzie has described the Rwanda plan as “horrific” and called for the African country to face sanctions for its part in it.
In 2021, she represented a Jamaica-born man who had served eight years for kidnapping as he battled to avoid deportation citing high blood pressure. The Telegraph understands a doctor diagnosed him as unfit to fly or be detained, and that he has received damages from the Home Office.
The task force, led by Baroness Lawrence and co-chaired by Anneliese Dodds, the Labour chairman, has concluded its work, meaning Ms McKenzie no longer has any formal involvement with Labour.
The CCHQ dossier also notes that a Labour activist called Bella Sankey ran the charity Detention Action, which challenged the High Court’s ruling that the Rwanda plan is lawful, until her election as a councillor in May.
Eleven barristers from Doughty Street Chambers, which Sir Keir Starmer co-founded, led the challenge to Rwanda in the Court of Appeal.
Duncan Lewis Solicitors, also listed in the legal challenge, has described itself as “representing clients in matters close to Labour’s heart”.#
‘Sir Keir is delighted’
Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, said: “Sir Keir is secretly delighted at his web of cronies’ schemes to block our plans to stop the boats.
“While we are doing everything we can to stop the boats, Starmer and his activist friends are doing their best to sabotage our efforts so they can use it for cynical political gain.”
Downing Street will make a series of migration policy announcements this week as it seeks to exploit differences on the issue between the parties.
A Labour spokesman said: “The Government has sent more home secretaries to Rwanda than asylum seekers.
“Ministers have written a £140 million cheque for a removals policy that has totally unravelled, with another £170,000 promised per person despite evidence [it] won’t act as a deterrent and risks making trafficking worse.”
Ms McKenzie said: “As a solicitor, I represent my clients to ensure the law is applied accurately to their cases. I have not been involved in the judicial review challenge to the Rwanda partnership, but two of the most senior judges in the UK have ruled that the plan is unlawful.
“In respect of the Labour Party, I was invited to volunteer on a multi-sectoral group … to examine race disparities in the UK, similar to a group chaired by Tony Sewell for the Conservative Party. I have also sat on another group chaired by Priti Patel MP on the Windrush scandal and was pleased to" By Dominic Penna, Telegraph
